Carrowmore, Knock, Mayo
Knock Community Centre Redevelopment Fund
Knock Community Centre will undergo a substantial retrofit and redevelopment during 2023. The works to be completed will transform the existing building to a modern and functional community building serving both the youth and elderly in Knock. A revitalised and transformed community centre will facilitate all community activities to include music, fitness, children’s’ parties, concerts, social gatherings and digital hubs.
overview
To raise funds to redevelop Knock Community Centre and save it from closing down.
The Committee of Knock Community Centre, after an extensive application process, secured a grant of €300,000 from the Dept. of Community and Rural Development through the Community Centre's Investment Fund. This money will go towards the proposed redevelopment works of the existing building. These funds are most welcome and will help a long way towards the retrofit of the community centre. However they will not cover the extent of essential works that are required. We have drawn up plans for an extensive modernisation of the Centre and received planning permission from Mayo County Council to complete a full-scale upgrade of the existing building to transform it to a fully functional community and social centre for the benefit of the community in the wider Knock area. While the funding granted is most welcome and will assist us in our roadmap for the existing building, we still need to reach out to our community and diaspora to assist us financially to achieve and realise this programme. There are extensive works to be carried out which are outside of the scope of the grant allocation.
where your money goes
All monies secured during this fundraising drive will go directly towards this substantial project. There is a requirement for substantial funds to complete the fit out according to the planned drawings and to secure furniture and fittings for meetings rooms, games and youth areas and digital hub areas, in addition to external ground works, resurfacing of car park, installing EV charging points, etc.
history
The original pre-fabricated timber-frame Community Centre building, then known as St. Joseph's Parish Hall, was built in the 1950s. The Community Centre was built on land very kindly donated by Jim & Eileen Carty of Carramore. Over the years it was the hub of the community and hosted many dances, plays, concerts and events. Some of the original board included Master Tom Ryan, Thomas Casby, John Cunnane, John Joe Byrne, Alo Heneghan, Ted Curry and Thomas O'Brien (who are all now gone to their eternal rest). Following an engineer’s inspection, that portion of the building is no longer safe because of dry-rot and needs demolishing.
The current board members are: Paraic Prendergast (Chairperson); Sinead Mallee (Secretary); Rachael Salmon (Treasurer); Nicola Carty (Asst. Treasurer); Joe Neylon, Brian Murphy, Julie Eduwaye, Fr Richard Gibbons (PP)
The newer part of Knock Community Centre is a building in need of extensive modernising. Up to this point, we have just about managed to keep the doors open. Even though it's not widely used because of it's present condition, we still had a responsibility to keep paying the insurance costs, we had accountancy fees to pay and paperwork to be kept up to date for the companies office and revenue returns. We are also obligated to pay standing order charges for water, electricity and gas. You could say it has been crawling along in 'limp mode' this past few years and it has now come to a critical juncture – refurbish it or close the doors.
