STAFF at a Letterkenny childcare facility are being forced to urgently find a new premises because their current building has mica.
Management at Letterkenny Community Childcare Centre have launched a major fundraising drive after their Lisnennan building was detected as having 35 per cent mica.
They are now on the look-out for a new site or a suitable location which will allow them to stay in business and they’ve launched a major fundraising drive as part of their campaign.
Along with a new gofundme page, staff and parents are also planning to host a number of fundraising events over the coming months in order to highlight their plight.
They may need to raise as much as €2.5m in order to find a suitable new home.
LCCC is the only full day community childcare service in Letterkenny and is a registered charity. The not-for-profit organisation, which was established 40 years ago, now employs 28 staff.
The busy centre has a waiting list of over 500 children wishing to attend its different services and in the meantime, the centre caters for 154 children from 140 families.
According to manager Geraldine Burke, LCCC has never been busier.
“There is a increasing demand for our facility and services in a town that is growing all the time,” she told the Donegal News.
“We offer childcare services which are so badly needed and our long waiting list is proof of the demand that’s out there.”
LCCC moved to its current location at Lisnennan 20 years ago and it was back in 2019 that they first discovered problems with the building which they currently lease.
Following confirmation of defective materials, management sought help and support from the relevant agencies but like so many other families and home-owners, they have made few inroads.
Now as they ramp up their campaign, discussions have taken place with local councillors, including Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh and Cllr Gerry McMonagle while Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn is due to raise their situation in the Dail this week.
MEP Maria Walsh has also been in contact with the centre.
“We have two years left here max,” Ms Burke added.
“Our hope would be that we’d either be able to buy a new site, or that we’d be given a suitable site by Donegal County Council and we could raise the funds needed to build ourselves.
“We’d hope to get government support along the way.”
The campaign has the support of the Donegal County Childcare Committee, and as Ms Burke points out, LCCC is not the only creche or childcare facility in Donegal that has been impacted by mica.
Last week, staff held a meeting with the centre’s parents and families to update them on their campaign and those in attendance offered their full support towards the fundraising efforts.
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