Annaghdown Parish Council Proposal to Develop Sports Centre In
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Annaghdown Parish Council ANNUAL REPORT 2014 ANNAGHDOWN PARISH COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2014 Contents 1. Organisational Profile of Annaghdown Parish Council 2. Development Plan 2007 Current Activities of Annaghdown Parish Council 3. Development Plan Update 4. Sports Centre 5. Dressing Rooms 6. Renovation of Corrandulla Community Centre 7. Membership of Board of Directors/Election of Officers a. Recruitment of new volunteers 8. Child Protection Policy 9. Placenames 10. Website www.annagdown.ie 11. Graveyards 12. Claregalway/Annaghdown Community Employment Scheme FUNDING ISSUES 13. Audited Accounts 14. Defibrillators 15. Annaghdown Handball and Racquet Ball Alley 16. Old Girls School and the Community Library 17. Bridging Loan 18. Astro Turf Pitch 19. Clothes Collection Appendices 1. Structure of Annaghdown Parish Council Ltd 2. Directors of Annaghdown Parish Council since 2006 3. Extract from Annual Accounts of Annaghdown Parish Council 4. Website Visits 5. Map of Annaghdown Parish area. 6. Townlands in Parish Council Area 2 ANNAGHDOWN PARISH COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2014 ORGANISATIONAL PROFILE ANNAGHDOWN PARISH COUNCIL Annaghdown Parish Council was established in May 2006, following public consultations which were organised both individually and jointly by the existing Annaghdown and Corrandulla Community Councils. After some discussion it was agreed that the Community Councils would be disbanded and a new Parish Council would be founded in their stead and that all existing funds belonging to both bodies would be transferred to the new Council. VISION Annaghdown Parish Council seeks to develop within its local area, an inclusive and caring community where all members feel valued, respected, and safe in their homes, and are able to access the supports they require to live a fulfilling and satisfying life. MISSION Our Mission is to ensure the proper development of essential services and facilities by statutory bodies, to proactively support the establishment of new and responsive services by special interest groups and where necessary take a lead role in service provision where a general need is identified in the community. VALUES Democracy & Community Everyone has the right to participate in decisions that affect them and to have the opportunity to be part of an inclusive community. Respect & Acceptance Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect, accepted as they are and given the support to grow to their full potential. Diversity is to be valued. Quality Everyone has the right to expect services to be accessible, hospitable, provide choice, and be of a high quality to meet the needs and aspirations of people who use them. Voluntarism The gift of giving one’s time or resources as an act of solidarity with our neighbours is vitally important, enriching both the giver and the receiver. MEMBERSHIP OF ANNAGHDOWN PARISH COUNCIL Membership of Annaghdown Parish Council is open to all people, resident for the time-being, in its area. ANNAGHDOWN PARISH COUNCIL AREA The area where Annaghdown Parish Council functions is contained with four electoral districts, Annaghdown, Eanach Dhúin, Liscananaun, and Killower. The entire population of Annaghdown and Eanach Dhúin reside in the area while local knowledge would suggest that approximately 90% of the population of the Liscananaun and 25% of the Killower reside within the parish area. (Appendix 1 presents a detailed list of the townlands contained within the parish area). 3 ANNAGHDOWN PARISH COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2014 OBJECTIVES OF ANNAGHDOWN PARISH COUNCIL The main object for which Annaghdown Parish Council is established, is to represent the best interests of the local population, through assisting with the organisation and delivery of such environmental, pastoral, social and structural services as are required in the area at any given time. Specifically, the Annaghdown Parish Council will; i) Advise and make recommendations to the Trustees of St Jarlath's Trust, in relation to the best use of any properties owned by the Trust in the Parish Council area. ii) Manage local community resources to the best advantage of the local community. iii) Identify evolving need for the provision of amenities and services in the area and make representations to the appropriate statutory agencies to ensure that the fullest range of services possible, are available to the local Parish. iv) Promote voluntary activity by supporting the work of existing voluntary groups, and assisting the establishment of new groups responding to emerging needs identified by the Parish Council. v) Monitor planning proposals within the Parish Council area to ensure that planned developments do not constitute a threat to the health and well being of the local population and to represent concerns held by the community in relation to such developments to the Planning Authority where appropriate. Legal Status Annaghdown Parish Council Limited was registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee Not Having a Share Capital on April 5 2007, for the purpose of advancing the objectives of the Annaghdown Parish Council. Charitable Status Annaghdown Parish Council is registered for tax purposes with the Revenue Commissioners and is in the process of applying for Charitable Status. Directors of Annaghdown Parish Council The Directors of the Annaghdown Parish Council are appointed annually from those members who attend the Company’s Annual General Meeting. 4 ANNAGHDOWN PARISH COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2014 DEVELOPMENT PLAN In 2007, a “Community Profile and Analysis of the Parish of Annaghdown” was prepared with the support of Galway County Council, which highlighted the need for an indoor sports centre in the parish area, and the inadequacy of Corrandulla Community Centre in meeting the needs of up to 67% of those who use it. Following on from this analysis Annaghdown Parish Council created a Development Plan to address these identified needs. Facilities Planned: 1. Multi purpose playing area for basketball, badminton, volleyball, judo, keep fit classes, indoor soccer and indoor hurling etc. Actual size of playing area will be 28m (91ft) x 15 m (49ft). 2. Showers, changing rooms, lockers, toilets and equipment storage spaces for various sporting disciplines to be provided in Community Centre. 3. Corrandulla Community Centre to be renovated and sub divided to provide a number of different size meeting rooms that will be available at affordable rates to all local community groups. 4. All facilities to be fully accessible to people with disabilities. Due to space and financial constraints the development will be progressed in three stages. Phase One Phase One of the plan is the construction of indoor playing area. Phase Two Phase Two of the plan entailed the upgrading of existing changing rooms, showers toilets, and equipment storage spaces within the adjacent Corrandulla Community Centre. Phase Three Phase Three of the plan will entail the adaptation of the existing playing area in the Corrandulla Community Centre into a number of smaller meeting and activity rooms to facilitate a greater range of activities for all sections of the community including, youth clubs, social groups, and day centre facilities for the elderly of the parish. The new Sports Centre sits behind the Community Centre and between the National School and the Old Girls School in Corrandulla. 5 ANNAGHDOWN PARISH COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2014 CURRENT ACTIVITIES DEVELOPMENT PLAN UPDATE Sports Centre In October 2012, the Board of Annaghdown Parish Council was informed that €105,000 had been received from the Galway Rural Development Ltd, as stage 1 of a three stage grant process. The meeting was also told that approximately €250,000 had been paid out on the project to date, and the job should be completed on schedule at the end of June 2013. However from November 2012, progress on the development of the Sports Centre was painfully slow. Due to problems with a grant elsewhere in the country, our grant application became the subject of review first by Galway Rural Development Ltd, and then independently audited by an official from the Department of Agriculture. While these reviews were underway the Parish Council could not guarantee the contractor that funds would be available as needed to pay for materials and so work was almost at a standstill for lengthy periods at a time. Fortunately, we have now progressed satisfactorily through these delays and the long overdue second instalment of funds has been received in the past two weeks and it is hoped that the Sports Centre will be ready for use by the end of June 2014. Dressing Rooms Work on delivery of this element of the Development Plan commenced in November 2013. The plan will involve the renovation of a section of Corrandulla Community Centre to provide: 2 x 15 Person Dressing Rooms each containing 4 shower cubicles and 1 WC 3 x Female Toilets 3 x Male Toilets 1 Wheelchair Accessible Bathroom / Official's Changing Room. The Dressing Rooms will be linked by a corridor to the Sports Centre and will also be accessible from the Community Centre. It is planned that work on construction of the Dressing Rooms will be commence after the Corrandulla Show Is over at the end of June 2014 and be completed within six to eight weeks. Renovation of Corrandulla Community Centre In 2007, it was envisaged that Phase Three of the Development Plan would entail the adaptation of Corrandulla Community Centre to provide a number of smaller meeting and activity rooms. The proposed purpose of this work was to facilitate a greater range of activities for all sections of the community including, youth clubs, social groups, and day centre facilities for the elderly of the parish. A presentation on potential options was prepared by the Parish Council and Public Meeting was held on March 28th 2012 to start the process of planning the renovation of the Community Centre. However there was a very small attendance at the meeting and no significant suggestions for change arose from the meeting. It is hoped that with the imminent completion of Phases 1 & 2 of the Development Plan, the potential for developing the remaining space may become clearer.