24th June 2011
Gortalowry House
The original building
The Inception
1996 The concept of a multi cultural building For the whole community to use Select Vestry of Derryloran Parish House purchased for £75,000 Community Development committee Local authorities and public sector agencies
The side of the original building
The Residential
Interested parties attend a weekend residential
Gortalowry Project Ltd was formed Demolition of the Gortalowry House Consultation report
The Funders
CCRU (John Carson Office) Lottery Tesco’s Awards for all National Charities Board Felicity McCartney £4-5000 July 2000-2001 Lloyds TSB, CRC (£5000) Enkalon Foundation (£500) John Moore’s, CB & HH Taylor Trust, Westford Trust Katherine Howard Trust
Community Development
Margaret Ferguson Mobiles Committee
Gort Kids annoying the staff with a water fight.This was before the building work started
Gort Kids in the mobles
Carer and Toddler group about 1999 in the mobiles
Steering Group Committee
ChairpersonMr Wilfred Young
Vice Chairperson Mrs Bernie Sonners
SecretaryRev Robert Boyd
TreasurerMr Bertie McKinney
Building a Community Building
Manor Architects Euroframe Land Ownership Leased to Gortalowry House
The Building Work
The Official Opening
7th June 2000 Mr Dennis Haughey M.L.A. Clergymen representing all sides of the
community All those who had served Gortalowry House,
either as users, committee members or staff. Invited Guests
A newspaper clipping of the offical opening
Staff
Staff Mrs Margaret Ferguson Project Development and Co-ordinator Mrs Jennifer Murphy Co-ordinater of Gort Kids after school Club Mrs Mable Doole Project Co-ordinator Miss Yvonne Coleman Project Manager Miss Sinead Sonner Cleaner/Facilitator Mrs Jackie Mills Cleaner/Facilitator Miss Karen McElroy Project Co-ordinator April 2002 Mr David Murray Office Manager 2001 Miss Kelly Dowd ( work placement) Miss Lisa O’Neill (work placement) Mrs Teresa Rooney Relief project worker Mrs Cissie Greer Cleaner
Current Staff
Ms Amanda Charles Facilitator/House keeper Mr Daran Patterson Caretaker Mr Martin McCann TIPSA Mr Eugene O’Goan TIPSA Ms Brenda Hughes Gold/Surestart
Usage and available space within Gortalowry House
The three Storey multi – purpose resource centre comprises main reception area Manager’s office now the McKeown room for hire for small groups and for
1-1 counselling session facilities for a shop, later turned into an office and store Restaurant which is now the main conference room Kitchen and stores Five spacious offices Upstairs First Floor conference and training suites which were later adapted
for offices. Playroom which was designed for use by children, Gort Kids afterschool
club, carer and toddler groups and MUCCC operate from this room. Some groups like to hire this as it is less formal and suitable for support groups
Large upstairs room which was made into a Computer suite initially rented to learn Direct, now TIPSA office
Sustainability
Our sustainabity means that that times Gortalowry house has to make hard decisions about the way forward so that we remain competitive in the new financial climate of the 21st century.
Suppliers All tenants current and past, their staff and committees All those who book GH rooms All current and past committee members In particular we thank those who had the vision of working together
particularly those who committed in the early stages. and their success to bring that vision into a building and into
Cookstown.
Current Committee
Mr Trevor Rollins (Chairperson) Ms Vera McElhone (Treasurer) Ms Elizabeth Baxter (Secretary) Mr Ron Griffin Mr Cannon Porteus Mr Trevor Carson Ms Izette Hunter Mr Des Hunter Ms Mary McElroy Mr Sloss Wylie
Committee members Mrs. Elizabeth Baxter 1998-2011Mr.Tom Blemmings 2000-2001Mrs.Roberta Boyd 2006-2007Rev.Samuel Robert Boyd 1997-2001Mrs.MaggieBryson 1996-2001Mr.Justin Buchannan 2005 -2007Mr.TrevorCarson 2005-2011Mr. Brendan Conway 2001-2004Mr.Jim Eastwood 1998- 2002Mrs.TeresaFalls 1998-2000Mrs.Margaret Ferguson 2001-2005Mr.Robert Ian Greer 1998-2004Mr.Ron Griffin 2009-2011Mr.Des Hunter 2005-2011Mrs.IzetteHunter 2005-2011Mrs.Etna Jennings 1998-2000Mrs.Libby Keyes 1996-2001Ms.Shirley McIntyre 2003-2006Mrs.Frances McKenna 1998-2001
Mr Bertie McKinney1996-2002Dr. Henry McLain1998-2001Mr Louise Martin 2007MsVera McElhone 1996-2011Ms.Mary McElroy 2005-2011 Mr.Ernie McGeown-. 2005 Dr Michael Mullan 1998-2002
Mr.David Murray 2003-2007Mr Colm Nesson1999-2000Mr.Pat O'Hanlon 2002 -2003Cannon Norman Porteus 2003-2011Ms.Bernie Quinn 2008Mr.Trevor Rollins 2005-2011Mrs.Teresa Rooney 1999-2005Mrs.Bernie Sonner 1998-2008Mr.Alexander (Sandy) Spiers1996-2000Mr.Jason Stewart 2000-2003Mr.Sloss Wylie 2009-2011Mr Wilfred Young1996-2002
Thank you
The current management
committee wish to
acknowledge the hard work
and dedication of all those
who have assisted.