The government is prepared to give a helping hand to ensure that the services of Ir-Razzett tal-Ħbiberija continue to expand and are offered to more people, Social Policy Minister John Dalli has pledged.
He felt that better collaboration between the authorities and the voluntary organisation - which offers a combination of services to 1,000-odd disabled person at an annual cost of €1 million (around Lm430,000) - could lead to the better use of resources and bigger achievements.
During a visit to the premises in Marsascala yesterday morning, Mr Dalli stressed the importance of understanding that the free services offered by Razzett to disabled persons did not come cheap.
There was no need to replicate the same service within the public sector, but rather strengthen what was already in place.
"What I have seen here is good," he said, expressing his belief that following proper discussions, a way could be found for the government to help in expanding Razzett's activities and make them more accessible.
This will be music to the ears of Razzett, because for years it has been calling on the government to finance a fraction of the services rendered to patients to help make ends meet.
The centre was not asking for an open grant, but rather a pay-per-use agreement, chief executive Nathan Farrugia said. This would ensure that Razzett was only given financial help for the services it provided.
"We want our services to be subsidised, especially when it comes to those which are not offered by the government," he explained.
Asked whether such a mechanism was on the cards, Mr Dalli said that this could definitely be one of the issues on the discussion table. He also pointed out that when an entity made every attempt to raise money itself before resorting for help, it made its requests more credible.
"It is an incentive and motivation for others to help them," he said.
In a bid to raise funds, the park recently embarked on a structured commercial programme to sell its professional services and facilities to the public and other commercial organisations.
A 12-hour televised marathon to raise funds in aid of the park will also be held on Saturday. The money raised during Charity 12, which will be broadcast on all major television stations, will go towards sustaining the centre's operations. Money can be donated by calling on 5004 9095 to donate €15 (Lm6.44) or sending a text message on 5061 8926 to donate €6.99 (Lm3).