Fees going up, but Community Centre 'still competitive'

Board and committee members at the AGM.

Fees for services and facilities provided by Kilcullen Community Centre are being increased to try and offset substantially higher costs, but the operation is still competitive in its offering, last night's AGM of the facility heard, writes Brian Byrne.

The meeting was also told by Manager Enda O’Neill that most elements of the Centre are operating ‘at capacity’ in terms of available time slots and staff numbers to manage them. A major concern is the unavailability of Community Employment workers, at least four of which would be needed to ‘protect the long-term life’ of the Centre according to the Manager. “We now employ one full-time and five part-time staff, which is very positive for the community but also puts the Centre under financial strain,” he said. Emphasising the need for CE workers, he said this would make employed staff more available to manage further income-generating activities. A full complement of CE workers would be five, but requests to have them provided have been 'to no avail'. 

The meeting heard that for 2023 the heating bill increased by 100pc over the previous year, though the changeover from oil to wood pellets still represented a 33pc saving. The Manager added that the electricity bill for the operation has risen by €10,999 since 2020 almost doubling the cost for 2023. “And for 2023/2024 our insurance increased by €590 to €32,725, which irks me because we have put in place standards and policies that make the Centre safer for everybody, but that’s not reflected in our insurance costs.” He added that there have been no claims on the insurance this year for accidents or incidents.

He said the Centre, the All Weather Pitch and the Coffee Hatch ‘performed well’ in 2023, and the company continues to grow thanks to the hard work and dedication of all the staff. “I predict that through 2024, the company should increase revenue further with increased footfall from hall and pitch rental and the Coffee Hatch,” he added.

The Manager reported that improvements in 2023 to the Centre included painting of the interior by the staff, replacement of the lights on the All Weather Pitch, and completion of the works on the new Accessible Wet Room. A new Wheelchair Accessible automatic main entry door will be installed in the coming weeks, thanks to a grant secured from the HSE. And the first framed jerseys of a long-planned Hall of Fame in the Centre are now being prepared.

“However, no further works are planned this year unless grants are sourced and secured by the Kilcullen Community Centre Committee,” he concluded.

(More detail from the meeting in coming posts.)

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