Glebe House To Meet MLAs Over Funding Crisis

Glebe House faces major funding crisis that threatens the voluntary and community sector

Cross-party local MLAs and representatives are to attend a meeting at Glebe House in Kilclief to support its Good Relations programme at a time of draconian funding cuts.

Glebe House, a rural retreat in Kilclief has been providing support to all members of the community since 1975.

Andrew McCracken, Director, said: “Our good relations, wellbeing and environmental programmes involve participants from across County Down and beyond including families and children.

“Based in the Strangford and Lecale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty we offer a unique safe shared space for all the community to take part in our programmes.

“About 200 people aged from 9 to 90 are involved in our programmes. 

“We have a small staff team of 6 and have a team of volunteers who are also passionate about our work.

“We offer volunteer-led English language support to refugees, we are home to a Ukrainian refugee family, and we have recently been delighted to open a volunteer-led community garden, the Seedbed.

“We are also hosts to the Strangford and District Men’s Shed. 

“Our work has been supported and commissioned by a wide range of funders over the years, private donations, fundraising and charitable trusts but key to this has been support from the Department of Health and most notably The Executive Office.”

“Today, the need for what we do is growing,” continued Andrew McCracken. “Much of our community is as polarised as ever.

“With public finances now more stretched than ever, with services being cut and opportunities falling away for those who are worst affected by the cost of living crisis, it is more important to be alert to the deep and continuing problems that Glebe House alleviates.

“The pandemic has both exposed and aggravated existing inequalities.

“The people that we serve are precisely the ones who have been hardest hit by the pandemic, the soaring cost-of-living and by the shrinking of services.

“Our work is now at risk.

“Due to the current budget difficulties, key funding from the Northern Ireland Executive has been withdrawn and this leaves us will deep sustainability concerns and has resulted in our cross-community programmes being dramatically reduced.

“For many young people and for adults living in rurally isolated locations this is deeply distressing.”

On Thursday 6 July local, cross-party political representatives will meet at Glebe House to discuss the current situation and offer their support to the charity and the people who are part of it.

Andrew added: “Hopefully they can use their influence to ensure there is financial support for Glebe House’s good relations, wellbeing and environmental work.”

The crisis facing Glebe House is a one which may soon be all too familiar across Northern Ireland.

The effect of a stringent budget is cutting deep into the very heart of the voluntary and community sector.