Larne Age Concern needs new home

Damage caused by burst pipes has forced the drop-in centre in Main Street to close – and there is a real fear that the important service carries out with elderly residents will be in jeopardy unless new premises are found – and very quickly.

Patricia McCullough, administrator with Larne Age Concern, described the scene inside the once-elegant building as "horrendous".

"We had some pipes burst because of ice and we were trying to sort that out, but on Saturday I went in and discovered water cascading down the stairs. It has gone from bad to worse," she said. "Part of a ceiling is down and the building is completely out of action. We are waiting for the insurance company to come and have a look, but it could be months before it is all sorted out," Patricia added.

She said that the Old Presbyterian Church of Larne and Kilwaughter was kindly allowing the charity to use their premises on a Friday morning between 9am and 12 noon, but it was vital that other venues be found to keep the drop-in centre work going.

"We hope so much that others will be able to help us in some way. We are willing to pay for the use of premises as our work is so important to the senior citizens of Larne. It is vital that we keep it going," she said.

The current problems, however, are just the tip of the iceberg for the charity.

It is 30 years this year since Larne Age Concern opened a drop-in centre in the town - said to be just the second of its kind in Northern Ireland - in Point Street. Some years later they moved to their current location in Larne's Main Street in a former health care building.

However, the future of the centre is under threat as their current lease on the building is running out and will not be renewed after July 2011.

The premises are leased from the Northern Health Trust but repairs estimated of at least 300,000 are needed to bring it up to standard.

Mrs McCullough said the charity therefore is urgently on the lookout for other suitable premises, not just to get it through the immediate emergency, but also for the longer term.

Anyone who can help Age Concern in their appeal for premises - either in the short or long-term - should contact acting chairman Bert Shields on 2827 4129.