Community Centre Committee News
The AGM of the Community Centre Committee was held on the 16th February, 2002 in the old school in Ballindine. At this meeting the following people were appointed to the committee, Billy Dunne, Chairman (as before); Joe Waldron and Ann Tighe, Treasurers (Patricia Gibbons -outgoing); Nuala Lyons, Secretary (Anne Heneghan - outgoing); and the following people were present at the meeting: Fr. Des Fahey, Noreen McHugh, Kevin Connolly, Liam Nyland, PJ Barrett, Martina Gallagher, Cait McGann, Mary Mangan, Eileen Fahey, Rose Kearns, John Halligan, Sean Higgins, Margaret Jennings, Lorraine Riley and Olivia Brogan.
The Community Centre Committee have a vision for the old school building being run as an active centre for the people of the parish. At present the centre is rented out by some local groups for meetings etc, ie Davitts GAA Club and Bernie Geraghty's musicians, whilst an upstairs room is currently utilised by a local artist. It is also hoped to preserve one of the upstairs classrooms as a museum.
After the fire, the building was temporarily re-wired. Since then the building has been completely re-wired and a fitted kitchen has been installed in what was previously the junior infants classroom. It is envisaged that a play school may be run in this room in the near future. During the winter months regular table quizzes are held for primary and secondary school children. The aim of the committee would be to continue to raise enough funds for the centre to run effectively and efficiently, and to possibly build on a function room to the back of the building. This would enable the playing of indoor soccer, as well as a meeting place for the elderly, youth club, etc.,
The annual cost of running the Community Centre, for heating and light etc., is in the region of euro3,800 (£3,000). Most of the insurance money was spent on restoring the old school to its present standard. A large amount was spent on the re-wiring and some of it is required for future work on the building. Part of the insurance money was retained to provide materials for the new school. There is therefore an ongoing need for fund-raising in order to make the community centre viable. At present the committee are putting plans into place for the annual Fairday, which it is hoped to be held on the 10th August, 2002. A school-class reunion is also in the pipeline, for the coming months, and plans for this are underway.
A well-run community centre is vital in a parish with a growing population, but it cannot be run on a shoestring. Fund-raising events are a vital requirement for the running of this centre, just the same as a school or place of worship. It will help to serve the needs of the youth, the elderly and various groups in our half-parish. You can help in the running of this centre by supporting any of the fund-raising events, or by your donation (so matter how small) in the special yellow envelope which can be handed in at Mass or to any of the committee members.
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