Please Help: Conway Mill Trust Lack of Funds
admin | Friday, July 2nd, 2010 | No Comments »Conway Mill Trust received word this week from Danny Cassidy, Project Manager for Altram, a community-based regional support group for Irish language early years programs and family support services in Northern Ireland, that Altram has lost funding, severely affecting Altram’s certified Irish-medium early years immersion education training program and Two Windows on the World Centre.
Altram was founded in 1990 by local Irish-medium preschools in Newry, Armagh, Derry and Belfast. It currently provides a wide range of services and publications including training materials, certification training and support publications to some 50 groups in Northern Ireland, some of which have families from both sides of the community who benefit from Altram’s services.
Altram undertook development of its Irish-medium early years tutor training program and dedicated training centre in 2008 in partnership with Comhairle na Gaelscaiochta, the organization specifically responsible for the Irish-medium early years sector in Northern Ireland, North West Regional College, Ultach, a Belfast-based charity, and the University of Ulster. The program and centre became fully operational in September 2009 and recently certified its first class of tutors/workers.
Danny writes, “Despite all our hard work to establish the training centre, we are now at the stage where we have to close it by July as we have no money to maintain the rent on it (£450 per month). This, to say the least, is heartbreaking for all involved in the project. All the money invested into the centre will have been for nothing and is a terrible waste of resources.”
In addition to the Centre’s imminent closing, all members of the Altram staff will be placed on notice within the next two weeks. However, Danny went on to say, “This is not about our [the staff’s] future, it is more about the future of the children who attend the Irish-medium early years schools. Without our support I have no doubt that the sector in general will experience a downturn in terms of quality and care.”
Danny reports they are currently lobbying the local politicians and remain hopeful that they can avert this crisis, but as it stands now, even if funds are secured to maintain the staff, he doesn’t believe they will allocate funds for rental costs. “Unfortunately, I can’t see a way out of this situation, and we may have to accept closure of the centre,” Danny ended.
If you would like to help Altram, simply send your tax-deductible contribution to Conway Mill Trust Inc., P.O. Box 101529, Pittsburgh, PA 15237-8529. Mark you check or money order “Altram.” And one-hundred percent (100%) of your contribution will be sent to them. Or, donate online through PayPal.
