Calls are being made for 1.3 million euro in funding to be made available for the development of a multi-purpose facility in Newmarket on Fergus, which its hoped will help kickstart the regeneration of the village.
Obair, which runs a number of local services, including Meals on Wheels, have purchased a property in the village centre with the hope of expanding to meet demand, but Government funding so far hasn’t been granted.
This has resulted in the service having to turn people away.
In decades past, Newmarket on Fergus was home to over 20 shops, but with changing consumer needs in recent years, the village is now down to only one supermarket and smaller number of other businesses.
At the heart of the community, however, is Obair.
It’s been providing services to the community for over 20 years, including a cafe, creche and a popular meals on wheels service.
Seeking to expand its meals on wheels offering, which already extends to communities beyond Newmarket, Obair purchased a business premises in the village centre with a view to developing a multi-purpose amenity.
The 1.3 million euro project includes a new kitchen as well as a training kitchen, spaces for youth and community groups, and other employment opportunities.
But it has failed to secure funding in two separate rounds of the Government’s Rural Development Fund and Obair Board Member John Quinlivan says people in need of their Meals on Wheels service are already losing out as a result.
Obair is now working with the Clare Local Development Company with the hope of securing funding under the Leader programme, but this may only allow for small parts of the project to go ahead at a time.
Local Fianna Fáil Councillor Pat Mc Mahon, who is supporting the application, says the project as whole would inject new life into the community.
