| Reading Irish Centre saved by new
deal  By
Peter Foley
READING Irish Centre has been saved from closure in a rescue plan which
will also provide older members of the community with a much-needed and
long-awaited day-care centre.
The Chatham Street premises first opened its doors in 1987 and soon it proved
a huge hit with the Irish community.
But over the past few years the once booming centre was threatened with
closure.
Patrick Power one of the centre’s trustees said: “Things
went well for a very long time but over the past few years a decline started
to set in.
“Stalwarts of the club had died and the membership numbers had fallen.
“A look at the books made it plain that things could not carry on
the way they were going and it looked like we were going to have to shut-up
shop.
“An Emergency General Meeting was staged and we simply spelt out the
reality of the situation to the membership.”
Now thanks to the Hibernian Society fronted by Irishman Seamus McAdden the
centre is not only safe but they have also secured a plan to establish a
long-held dream of having a day-care centre for the elderly community in
Reading.
Seamus who has lived in Reading for over 40 years said: “Patrick
told me the Irish Centre’s constitution contained provision once
all outstanding claims and bills had been settled to distribute any surplus
to deserving causes linked to the Irish community.
“And the Hibernian Society was just the type of body that could benefit
but any money forthcoming was unlikely to propel us quickly towards our
target.
“It struck me that here was a building in a central Reading location
that was not seeing its true potential and that it could serve both the
Irish Association and make the day centre which we’ve always wanted
a reality far quicker.”
And news that Reading will soon have a dedicated care centre is particularly
welcomed by Longford native Anne Morris who co-ordinates the weekly lunch
club for the Irish elderly.
She said: “There is only a set amount of time available at the church
hall before we have to make way for another group so it limits what we are
able to do.
“The whole aim of the day centre project is to be open throughout
the week there are so many elderly Irish living alone who would otherwise
just be gazing at the four walls.”
With the Hibernian Society behind him Seamus provided a substantial cash injection
thought to run to more than six figures but the premises requires many
alterations before it can take on its intended dual function the initial
estimate from the architect suggests more than £300,000.
Grants have been sought from the Irish Fund of Great Britain and the Díon
Committee to help fund the work which is expected to take three years.
The importance of this rescue plan was very apparent when Patrick said:
“If you lost a club like this it would never be replaced to start
from scratch today would cost up to £3million and I’m so glad
that our centre will not become another sorry statistic.
“It would have broken my heart if it fell to me to be the man that
handed back the keys for the building.”
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