Funding appeal for Glasson Community Centre

A impassioned public appeal has been launched for funding for a historic community centre in the centre of Glasson to cover the “basic financial requirements” which will enable the building to continue to function.

The GoFundMe appeal, which aims to raise €4,000 was set up by Felim Finnegan to provide light, heat and insurance cover for the historic building which originated as a schoolhouse for the Glasson community in 1844.

The committee for the Glasson Community and Heritage Centre has acknowledged that the advent of Covid had has “a huge impact” on the finances of the centre and felt it was left with no option but to make a public appeal for funds.

Within three days of the appeal being set up it had already raised half of its fundraising target, and the organisers are more than hopeful that they can reach their target in the coming days.

“Covid eliminated 90% of the activities of the centre, thereby eliminating most of the funding necessary to allow the centre meet its financial obligations,” said Felim Finnegan in his GoFundMe appeal, adding that “no fundraising is possible” during Covid times.

Mr Finnegan said the committee is "forced to call on the generosity of the local community, user groups, past pupils and all those interested in providing the basic financial requirements to enable this historic building continue to function with the necessary insurance cover, light and heat until Covid is brought under control.”

This funding will enable the “various community groups to resume their activities and provide the income necessary to allow the centre continue to serve the needs of the community” according to the fundraising appeal.

Glasson Community and Heritage Centre served as a schoolhouse until the 1960s, when it became a boxing club for young boys from Glasson and the surrounding locality.

However, the building became derelict in the early 1990s, at which point a group of local people from Glasson came together to restore the old schoolhouse while remaining true to its original architectural features.

After seven years of fundraising, and with labour supplied by FÁS, the building was restored and officially opened by Mary McAleese, Uachtarán an hÉireann in 1998.

Since then, the centre has been used by the local community for a variety of social, cultural, and educational activities while also acting as a polling station for local and national elections. These activities have enabled the centre to meet the costs of providing light, heat, insurance and maintenance, along with all the other costs associated with meeting the needs of the user groups. The centre qualifies for no funding from any other source. A small reserve which had accumulated since 1998 was used in 2019 to upgrade the heating system and improve the buildings insulation. The building was also fully repainted by a volunteer from the local community with the cost of the provision of the paint being met from the remaining funds held by the committee.

Contributions to the GoFundMe appeal can be made to any of the committee members, to the Centre’s bank account at PTSB Account number; 27185859Bank Sort Code 9907218 BIC IPBSIE2D IBAN IE88IPBS99071827185859 Account Name Glasson Community Heritage Centre CL or to the GoFundMe page directly by typing in Glasson Community Centre.