THE New Hope Centre, at Erne Road, Enniskillen is to close and offered for sale, according to Davy Kettyles, the only remaining voluntary director and company secretary of Enniskillen Community Development Partnership which owns it.

It is believed the closure and eventual sale is for funding reasons. In addition one of the main tenants had indicated a move to smaller premises.

At present, the premises are let out to New Hope Nursery, the Western Health Trust and Irish Central Border Area Network(ICBAN). The Nursery which has expanded recently, and caters for babies through to pre-school as well as running an after-school programme, is understood to be looking for alternative accommodation.

Mr. Kettyles, in a statement, said it was with regret that he had to take the decision to wind up the company which will result in the New Hope Centre closing at the end of October.

Mr Kettyles said that he was working with the company accountants, Kavanagh/Kelly to ensure the profits from sale of the building would be of the maximum benefit to the community in Enniskillen.

The Director’s Report show that the principal activity of the company is to promote the benefit of the people of Enniskilen, and surrounding area through the provision of social and economic services and to advance social change.

The Articles of Association and Memorandum of the Company of ECDP LTD was designed to ensure that in the event of a sale that all profits from its sale would go to organisation or organisations whose aims and objectives were not for profit and work for the good of the community.

All the Directors had worked totally on a voluntary basis and had not received any payments since the company was founded in 2000.

Mr Kettyles stated that the building would be put up for sale as soon as a full valuation had been carried out.

“We have asked a local estate agent to carry out a valuation for us and they say that they may be in a position to do this early next week. Once that work has been completed, Cavanagh/Kelly said we should put the building up for sale to test the market. It’s sale should cover all outstanding debts and provide a local community group with valuable financial assistance, alternatively, if a local voluntary community group would like to take over the building then this would be an option we would give serious consideration to. “The closure of the New Hope Centre will need to be complete by October 30,” he said.

The New Hope Centre was named in honour of Michele O’Leary by the Ireland Institute which has hosted over 1,500 young people from Ireland and Northern Ireland throughout its 16-year history.

Many of these young leaders have been participants in the International Fund for Ireland Wider Horizons Program or the Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program.

Through these programs, the Ireland Institute forged several partnerships with groups from the Enniskillen/Fermanagh region including the New Hope Centre.

The Ireland Institute described the New Hope Centre as providing a range of services from community health services to Peace and Reconciliation Training through the New Hope Community College and lay the groundwork for an improved future in Fermanagh and throughout Northern Ireland.