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Caha Centre wins €1,500 new library

March 26th, 2016 7:15 AM

By Southern Star Team

Noreen Murnane at the centre. (Photo: John Eagle)

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The Caha Family Resource Centre in Adrigole in Beara has won a ‘new library’ worth €1,500 through the Bord Gáis Energy ‘Donate a Library’ programme. 

THE Caha Family Resource Centre in Adrigole in Beara has won a ‘new library’ worth €1,500 through the Bord Gáis Energy ‘Donate a Library’ programme. 

 As part of the initiative, Bord Gáis Energy pledged to donate seven libraries to local charity or community groups throughout Ireland in 2016. 

Hundreds of nominations were received from all over the country and, after much deliberation by the judges, the Caha Family Resource Centre was confirmed as one of the recipients. 

The judging panel included campaign ambassador Lisa Duffy, Gert Ackerman from charity advocacy group The Wheel and TV3 Ireland AM presenter, Sinead Desmond.

Based on the Beara peninsula, spanning both West Cork and south Kerry, and managed by a voluntary board of directors, the Caha family resource centre works with families facing a wide range of challenges. 

They run a community childcare facility, after-school programmes and year-round activities for children, groups for men and women of all ages, and also offer support and activities for older people.

 Centre co-ordinator Noreen Murnane said the library would be a great resource. ‘Literacy is an issue in rural Ireland, particularly among older people, and being able to offer a community library would be a great basis to offer literacy-based activities in the area for this age group. Craft books, cookery books and heritage/history books are all used regularly with the seniors groups at the moment and it would be great to have an expanded collection for them to use,’ she said.

‘This group offers so many services to people of all ages on the Beara peninsula,’ said Claire Smith from Bord Gáis Energy. ‘We’re delighted to be able to help them with their request for a library and look forward to hearing more about the great work that they do.’ 

 The Caha centre was the only Cork project out of the seven chosen for the funds.

 The Bord Gáis Energy ‘Donate a Library’ programme was set up in 2011 and this year will see the twentieth library donated by the company to an Irish charity or voluntary group. Recipients are from all over the country and include aged care facilities, schools, parish centres and community support groups. See www.bgebookclub.ie.

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