Cavanacarragh Community Association has received a grant of £50,000 through the Big Lottery Fund's Improving Community Buildings programme to modernise a run-down rural hall.
The programme aims to support projects to refurbish, modernise or convert community venues such as community halls and centres to make them more available to local people.
Una Mc Girr, the chairperson of the Association explained that the news of the grant came after years of steady commitment in making Cavanacarragh Hall, an open and welcoming community venue.
"Cavanacarragh is now willing and ready", she said, "to put our own hard earned funding on to the Big Lottery Fund monies of £50,000 as the overall estimated cost of the capital refurbishment is anticipated to come in around £75,000.
WORTH
"Our hall has been able to prove its worth, economically and socially and is very much part and parcel of every day community life here in Cavanacarragh".
Ms McGirr said Cavanacarragh had genuinely demonstrated through the detailed application process that it had an economically well run, forward looking, social economy project that served and reflected the changing needs of a growing townland community.
She said that, through this new capital project (it represents Phase 3 of a building process at Cavanacarragh since 1999), her committee aimed to put in place a fully accessible hall that was fit to meet any demand, big or small.
"The hall committee along with many volunteer helpers feel that Cavanacarragh Hall is a second home for many of the areas, including young and older generations," she said.
Cavanacarragh resident Jim Ledwith confirmed that the Hall was the only place in the area where people could enjoy activities and meet friends.
"The hall has been in operation for over 30 years", he added, "and it really is the living heart of the community. This is where people socialise, young people visit the youth club and older people enjoy dancing. It's open to everyone, and religion is simply not an issue.
"People are at ease with their neighbours and they are there to enjoy the activities on offer, such as dancing and charity events.
"Every Easter morning we hold a service in the hall that is attended by loads of people from different backgrounds. That's the Cavanacarragh way of doing things: there is a community spirit and everyone is welcome."
Mr Ledwith said the problem was that the hall, typical of many halls in country areas, was built many years ago. It has a big stage that simply takes up too much room. It means it's difficult for us to hold the activities that we want. Refurbishments are badly needed right now."
STAGE
The funding will be used to replace the large stage area with a smaller stage so as to increase the floor space, and, also, to replace the current kitchen with an extended ground floor kitchen, extend and modernise the toilet areas, provide a new utility room and install ramps for disabled access throughout the building.
"Cavanacarragh", Mr Ledwith went on, " has always been a united, organised community, and we are working hard to maintain the unity. We will provide modern, comfortable, warm surroundings where people can enjoy activities. Everyone involved here is a volunteer, working for the benefit of the local community," he concluded.
