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New lease of life for Reading Irish Centre  A
year ago the Reading Irish Club was facing closure after 20 years’
service to the Irish community in Berkshire. But thanks to the dedication
of Reading’s Irish Diaspora, a partnership with the Hibernian Society
and much-needed funding in the form of a Díon Grant, the new Reading
Irish Centre is thriving. GRAHAM CLIFFORD speaks to the people behind
the rejuvenation.
A year ago the Reading Irish Club was preparing itself for the worst
as mounting debts crippled the club forcing management to make plans for
its closure.
After two decades of service to the Irish community in the Berkshire town
it seemed inevitable that the club would finally bow to financial pressures
and fade into the limelight.
But with the ‘closed’ sign ready to be hung on the doors,
an Extraordinary General Meeting at the 11th hour initiated the revival
of the Irish centre and now 12 months on organisers are brimming with
rejuvenated confidence that it is here to stay.
This new belief is largely down to an Irish Government Díon Grant
totalling £95,000, which was confirmed in the days before Christmas.
It’s the first time the centre has attracted such funding and treasurer
of the centre and Westmeath man Seamus McAdden believes this money along
with an improved professional management approach will help ensure the
Irish club continues to form the hub of Irish life in the area for many
years to come.
He said: “It would have been a travesty for this place to close,
we just couldn’t let it happen.
“I was involved when the centre was built and opened 20 years ago
along with many friends who gave their time, effort and money and I along
with others had confidence that we could make things work so that the
centre was a viable entity.
“This facility is a credit to the Irish community who set it up
and kept it going over the last two decades and its importance to the
Irish community in Reading is massive.
“The joy it gives, especially to the elderly community, is tremendous
and we weren’t prepared to see the ‘for sale’ sign outside.”
At that all-important meeting last February it was decided by unanimous
consent that the Hibernian Society would join with the Irish Centre and
as a result many in the Society now sit on the centre’s board.
The move helped pool experience and expertise and just months after the
Irish centre’s reprieve they astutely decided to apply for Díon
funding.
Seamus said: “We knew that if the centre was to survive we needed
certain improved facilities especially for the elderly and so we applied
for funding.
“The Irish Centre had never received any state funding in its history
and so we were hopeful that if we put our plans together carefully and
professionally we would have a chance of getting some much-needed assistance.
“We got the architects involved and pin-pointed the areas which
most needed immediate attention.”
The plans were submitted in the early part of the summer and while chairman
Patrick Power and the rest of the management team waited for an answer
from Díon they set about regenerating the centre.
Clare man Dan Daly came on board and became general manager running the
day-to-day business of the centre which included hosting dances, traditional
music sessions, family celebrations and other such events to attract customers
and help eat into the debts which were now dwindling at an impressively
rapid rate.
With the centre’s financial situation steadily improving and the
wolves distancing themselves from the door they received a Christmas present
of mammoth proportions in mid-December with the news that Díon
had agreed to give them £95,000 — an announcement which they
say will now transform the centre drastically and ensure its existence
for many years to come.
Seamus said: “I suppose it’s fair to say that we were confident
that we’d get some funding under the Díon initiative but
to acquire such a substantial amount is fantastic.
“The reality is we need about three times that amount to get the
club to where we want it to be but we’re not complaining.
“The funding shows that the Irish Government recognises the massive
impact Irish emigrants to Britain have played in the success of the Irish
economy over the years and now we intend to use every penny to improve
facilities for our members.
“There’s a great buzz about the place these days and I believe
the centre is now going in the right direction to be in the best shape
ever.”
The rules governing the funding stipulate that the monies must be used
specifically for the projects applied for by the Irish Centre and already
plans are under way to get down to work.
By the middle of the year it’s expected the Reading Irish Centre
will have installed a new lift, improved kitchen facilities, two new disabled
toilets, a new entrance and (planning permission permitting) a new ramp
so as to provide disabled access to the upstairs hall.
Trustee Anne Morris said: “The issue of disabled access has been
a big problem at the centre for many years.
“We’ve had nights when elderly people have had to be literally
carried up the stairs which is obviously far from ideal.
“On occasion I’ve heard that some people just decided not
to come to the centre at all because of the access problems so the lift
and ramp will make life so much easier for many of our members.”
As part of the funding package a new ‘drop off’ lay-by for
buses on Chatham Street where the club is based will also be provided.
It is estimated that there are in the region of 12,000 Irish people living
in the greater Reading area and general manager Dan Daly believes that
while the number of people crossing the Irish Sea and settling in the
area is dropping rapidly the centre is still a vital home from home for
many.
He said “Our members come from all over Ireland and it’s wonderful
for them to relax, have a pint and chat together.
“Many live on their own and the centre allows them an outlet where
they can enjoy themselves in familiar surroundings.
“It’s correct to say that the Irish aren’t coming to
England in the same numbers they once were but clubs like this are the
lifeline for many of those who have spent most of their lives here.
“But it’s not only Irish people who use the facilities.
“When we have weddings or 21st birthday parties in our upstairs
halls we attract a diverse clientele and we’re delighted to see
them all.”
The benefits of being part of a close-knit community has a massive impact
of the lives of the Irish elderly in the area and Anne Morris believes
that without the Hibernian Society’s lunch club, which will be moved
to the centre in the coming months, many would suffer from severe isolation.
She said: “Some people have told me that they live for that time
of the week when they can get together for lunch with other people in
the same situation.
“Now though with the improved kitchen facilities we will be installing
at the centre we will be able to cater for them five days a week rather
than just one.
“We plan to have not just lunches for our elderly members but also
things such as a regular chiropodist visiting, someone to help them fill
in forms and understand pension credits and a library of regional Irish
newspapers for them to read.
“Also we will try to get in interesting speakers and also plan to
have a shop with Irish products on sale.”
And it’s not just the elderly that the rejuvenated Reading Irish
Centre aims to focus on in 2008.
The facility also hosts traditional Irish folk music evenings with former
Riverdance band member Luke Daniels.
It’s hoped the award-winning musician and composer will set-up an
academy for young folk musicians at the centre with funding being sought
for the venture.
As well as this Irish dancing courses are run at the Irish club during
the week with as many as 50 youngsters, many with no Irish heritage, taking
to the floor.
While the number of Irish immigrants settling in Britain has dwindled
dramatically in the past decade there’s a real sense of rebirth
and awakening at the Reading Irish Centre today.
The focus may be primarily on assisting the elderly but the methods with
which these goals are being met are of a distinctly youthful nature.
You get the feeling that all obstacles will be overcome in the search
for a club free of financial worries and rich in ideas and energy.
Last Autumn’s 20th anniversary celebrations clearly displayed why
this centre is so intrinsic in this part of Britain and the visiting Irish
Ambassador David Cooney was greeted by well-wishers of all ages when fresh
into his new diplomatic role.
Those particular celebrations were heralded as amongst the best this atmospheric
centre has hosted over the years.
However with so much happening here in 2008 it’s more than likely
that the party to mark the conclusion of the refurbishment works will
surpass all before.
In the words of treasurer Seamus McAdden these are material and practical
improvements but they will provide the Reading Irish Centre’s proud
members, both young and old, with “something that is worth more
than money can buy”.
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