This article is from page 35 of the 2008-03-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 35 JPG
MILTOWN Malbay is leading the way in innovative ideas for rural liv- ing.
On Thursday, while the West Clare Resource Centre was celebrating the launch of its new information CD highlighting the many services pro- vided in the old vocational school, the Spraoi Family Resource Centre is already expanding its service.
After years of dedicated work from a group of volunteers, the family resource centre has opened and is catering for more than 60 local chil- Clone
The centre provides pre-school, af- ter school and a drop off service ca- tering for all age groups of children, and all the varying needs of local
parents.
Just weeks into its existence and an outside playground is already being prepared for the centre.
Manager of Spraoi Patricia Lineen said that people are signing up every day for the service.
It is hoped that the state of the art playground will be up and running within weeks.
Meanwhile a bus service brings children for the after school service to the centre from Rineen, Rock- mount and Annagh national schools.
The children are looked after and can do their homework before being collected by their working parents JE ICooup DOM OOlomen osu beTee
A total of 11 people are employed in the centre, five of them part time.
Leasing the land from the VEC the
Spraoi committee set about building the new unit onto the West Clear Re- course Centre.
The newly finished state-of-the-art family resource building 1s providing a variety of support services to par- ents from the area, including child- care facilities, a homework club, in- ternet café and a meeting room.
The brainchild of a number of lo- cal women, Spraoi Family Resource Centre, has the capacity to care for 80 children in total.
The innovated centre will not just cater for working parents, but will provide a drop off service for parents who wish to go shopping or keep ap- pointments and require a baby-sit- ting service.
The centre contains a baby sleep and awake room for nine babies, 20
‘“waddlers” for children aged nine months to two years and pre-school facilities for 40 children and after school facilities for 20 more chil- Clone
Plans are also in place for summer camps in Spraoi during the holidays in July and August.
The camps will cater for sport and music lovers and will be available to schoolchildren.
SW ilomereyrNCosns ecm KOLO eeMDOM Nsom GcNliRe is also available to the local commu- UIA
Just to prove how far the centre has become part of the local commu- nity in a few short weeks, the chil- dren of Spraoi will take part in the St Patrick’s Day Parade in Miltown Malbay on March 17.
For information call 065 7079893.