Who We Are

The Past

Since its opening in 1997, St. Patrick’s Community Centre  has offered many and varied activities to the benefit of our town and surrounding area. Peninsula Drama, Brite Sparx Drama and the local primary schools have provided great entertainment over the years. Our “Community Centre” has been home to many sports like Badminton, Bowls, Boxing, Wrestling, Judo and gentler activities such as Aerobics, Keep Fit, Pilates and Zumba; still more leisurely past times like Bingo, Bridge and Whist. St. Patrick’s has been the setting for Concerts, Dances, Irish Dancing Festivals, and Fleadheanna. We have been the  home for family occasions like weddings, wakes, birthday parties and anniversaries. The Community Centre has been the place of the social celebration of our priests’ ordinations and jubilees. In 2008, the President of Ireland Mary McAleese visited a packed hall of all Portaferry’s denominations.

 

The Present

A new Management Committee has been established. We want to hear from our community as to the activities which they want the centre to provide and which the community can detail in our questionnaire. In the meantime, the centre is very usable and available for hire -The Canteen on the first floor is the size of a large classroom; smaller (and cosier) than the main hall.  The Office and the Meeting Room are smaller still - for those gatherings and meetings which require a  smaller setting.    

 

Due to Covid-19 our Community Centre had to close. This closure was necessary but a building which is not used suffers. Upon re-opening the Centre’s coffers were low whilst the building needed a thorough clean. The cleaning has been done and the premises are now ready once again to serve our community.  Our excellent P.A. system will make you heard! Our Youth Club has returned and the Men’s Shed has established temporarily in the Green Room whilst the outside stores await refurbishment. We host the A.A., the Food Bank and we recently acted as a Collection Point for the Turkey/ Syria Earthquake Appeal. The Hearing Aid Workshop avails of our services. The Country Market uses our Centre on the first Saturday of each month during the winter and inclement weather. Keep Fit, Pilates and Zumba have resumed as has the Bridge Club. We have recently hosted the PSNI’s Community Officer who gave a talk on Fraud and Internet Scams, and the U3A (the University of the Third Age). Ballygalget’s Biggest Loser has recently held its celebratory ball at the end of February. The Centre hosts Portaferry G.A.A. with Boxercise. Irish Dancing has also returned to our Centre. Recently, Wrestling, excited the watching audience.

​

The Future

Whilst the Centre has served our community extremely well, we are seeking grants from funding organisations to enhance the fabric of the building so that it may serve Portaferry and hinterland as an excellent centre for Cultural, Social, Educational and Creative Activities and to be a place where the well-being of our members is paramount