| We must be kept informed over centre’s
future NEWS that negotiations are under way as to the future
funding of Hammersmith Irish Centre is bound to cause some apprehension
among the Irish community in West London and beyond.
In the past few years a number of popular Irish centres around the country
have gone to the wall as successive councils squeezed their funding for
short-term gain.
The Hammersmith centre is too vibrant and important a facility for this
to be allowed to happen.
So it is good news that Hammersmith and Fulham Council has entered into
talks with the Díon Fund to structure an arrangement which will
guarantee the future of this vital centre.
With both parties working together there can at least be some confidence
of a satisfactory conclusion.
However, there is one aspect of the affair that still causes concern.
When first approached by The Irish Post two weeks ago regarding rumours
that the council was considering changing its funding arrangements for
the centre a spokesman categorically denied any such moves were being
contemplated.
When we returned with fresh evidence last week the council admitted it
was in discussions to transfer the centre to a new voluntary sector body
funded by Díon.
While we appreciate the often delicate nature of such negotiations a little
more openness and honesty in the first place would not have gone amiss.
At least then the many hundreds of users of the centre may have been more
convinced the council had their best interests at heart.
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