CHRISTMAS has come early for the Milford community in the shape of a church building which has been officially signed over for recreational use.
The Milford Reformed Presbyterian Church has donated its former church on the Kilmacrennan Road to the Milford and District Resource Centre which will provide much needed community space for activities and classes.
Currently situated in a 160-year-old town house in Milford, the resource centre has been struggling for space.
With the former church vacant for four years and the Milford Reformed Presbyterian Church settling in at their new premises at Milford Retail Park, both groups saw it as the perfect opportunity to give this old building a new lease of life.
Speaking to the Donegal News, Manager of the Milford and District Resource Centre, Declan Meehan said the gift was absolutely unbelievable.
“Milford has been struggling with space for such a long time. There has always been talk about constructing a community centre but no plans for that have gotten off the ground.
“The gift of this building to the community really is a once in a generation opportunity for the town for shared community space that everyone will be able to avail of,” he said.
But before the hall is filled with performances and yoga mats some well overdue tender loving care is needed to bring the 200 year old building back to life.
Declan added, “One of the reasons the Reformed Presbyterian Church left four years ago was because it needed a significant amount of work done to it.
The roof needs significant repairs and the floor in the main church building needs to be replaced. They are the two big things that have to be done before it is anyway useable by the public.”
Pastor Mark Loughridge said he was delighted the church had a new lease of life.
“The Milford and District Resource group asked if we would consider donating the church and that was something we were very happy to do.
People have a connection to the building and no one wanted to see it falling into disrepair.
“We have always said we want to serve the community and preserve the building so donating it was a perfect solution.
“It works well on so many levels and we are delighted it has this new lease of life,” he said.
With renovations to begin in the spring, it won’t be long until the doors are open for the community to make use of the facility.
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