Council asked to take over Teach na nDaoine

A proposal to Kildare County Council to take over the renovated and extended former Dispensary for a Senior Citizens Social Centre in Kilcullen has been made by Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer, writes Brian Byrne. The building was handed back to the HSE late last year by the voluntary committee who refurbished it under the Teach na nDaoine project, as they don't have the necessary expertise to manage the centre under increasing governance requirements.

Through 2024, Cllr O'Dwyer met with the various stakeholders to highlight the need for a social centre for seniors in the town, many of whom are transported each week to Newbridge Day Care. "Currently the HSE do not have the capacity to deliver a Senior Citizens Social Centre in Kilcullen," she says. "There is a significant need for such a centre where people can drop in for a chat, a cuppa and social events with the potential for other groups to rent the space in the evening and this is the proposal I pitched to the Council."

The councillor says she will continue to work with both parties to hopefully retain the building for use as a seniors social centre.

Originally it was intended to only refurbish the original building, with the idea of providing a drop-in social centre for older people, especially for those who might feel isolated. But the project, first mooted in 2015 with construction work beginning in 2017, was expanded to include a major modern extension to the side and rear of the former Dispensary. The completed building now includes a lounge, a dining room, a meeting room, a versatile activity area, a kitchen, and two cloakrooms, all finished to a high standard. The rooms have been furnished, creating an inviting environment designed to serve the community’s senior residents, if the facility can be operated as such. 

To date, €164,407 has been spent on the project, 71pc was funded by grants and the balance came from local fundraising and donations.  

 

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