Large turnout at public meeting on €1m Killeigh Community Centre project
There was a large turnout a public meeting last week to update people on the new community centre development planned in Killeigh.
The meeting was told of the major behind-the-scenes effort that had been undertaken to advance the project, and that additional fundraising support was still required in order to complete it with minimal debt.
Currently, the Killeigh Community Centre Development Association has secured some €763,000 of the approximately €1 million required to develop the Community Centre, and it called for assistance from the community in helping to bridge that gap in funding.
At the meeting, which took place in Tullamore's Bridge House Hotel on Tuesday, October 4, attendees were told of how the new community centre project, on the site of the former Macra Hall, was well advanced in the tendering process in advance of signing contracts with a contractor to get the construction work started.
The meeting was also told there was a need to help make the main fundraiser for the project - the 'Win a House in Meath' draw - as big a success as possible in the remaining 10 weeks leading up to the draw on Monday, December 19.
The committee was delighted with the attendance at the meeting last week, as well as the support shown for the work they have been doing for the past three to four years.
The groundwork for the project, such as resolving the ownership issues, developing plans for the centre, developing and agreeing a budget, making grant applications, and arranging other fundraising activities has taken a lot of effort behind the scenes.
The committee members have stuck with the project since its inception and have had to deal with a lot of complex issues, both expected and unexpected, along the way. They are a resilient bunch who continue to move forward towards the vision of having a new community centre up and running in the village.
One of the committee's key objectives is to open the community centre with minimal debt in order to be in a strong position going forward and to be able to put the needs of the community to the forefront of how the centre develops into the future.
Offaly councillors Declan Harvey, Ken Smollen, Tony McCormack and Niall Feighery addressed last week's meeting, with each councillor commending the group on what had been achieved so far and lending their support to the project.
More details about the 'Win a House' fundraising draw can be found online, at www.winahouseinmeath.com, or on the 'Win a House in Meath' Instagram and Facebook pages.
Alternatively, people can purchase tickets by phoning the draw hotline on (085) 2604605 or at any of the following outlets: Gorman's Shop Killeigh, Grennans on the Green, Chadwicks (Tullamore Hardware) Maunsells Filling Station, Lambe Oil, Paddy Mitchell's & Co, Temple Print and Byrne's Gala Geashill.