Funding gateway remains open for Gateway Club

NEWRY Gateway Club Chairman Paddy Duffy has welcomed the decision on the part of the Southern Health and Social Care Trust to not cut funding at the onset of the new tax year.

Club members and trustees were distraught to learn that the Trust initially had plans to cease at least £10,000 worth of funding effective as of April 1 2025.

If enacted the decision to withdraw funding would have had a serious adverse impact on the club which for half a century has been providing a constructive social outlet for those in the community who live with learning disabilities. Mr Duffy initially commented that it is “always the vulnerable that suffer” as a result of these decisions to cut funding.

However after extensive lobbying on the part of a number of elected representatives as well as substantial public backlash to the decision the Trust has since opted to reinstate funding for the club.

This is a piece of news that Chairman Duffy claims members of the club are “absolutely delighted” to hear.

Decision overturned

“The decision to withdraw funding has been overturned. Funding will be put in place as per normal. I got an email from the Southern Health and Social Care Trust. We are absolutely delighted.

“I praise the two MLA'S, Liz Kimmins and Justin McNulty for their efforts at Stormont. They got in touch with the relevant people. Without their support the decision to reinstate funding would not have gone on ahead in the sense that we may have had to fight longer for it.

“Because Liz Kimmins is the chair of the Health Committee, she would have influence and would know who the right people to go to rather than starting from the bottom and trying to find out who to go to. I was delighted with their efforts and quick response.

“Social media also helped us because now a days people read social media and react to it. This may have helped them make the decision.

Whilst Mr Duffy does welcome the decision on the part of the Trust to reinstate funding with open arms, he claims to even have the suggesstion of the funding being withdrawn after the club had been in operation for 50 years came as a “terrible shock”

Terrible Shock

“I do not know what their thinking was before, during and after. However after 50 years it was a terrible shock to have your funding withdrawn without any prior knowledge. I would always say that it is the vulnerable who are always hit first because they cannot fight back. However in our case we did fight back. They would not have overturned this decision unless we fought for it.

“The money that we get from the Southern Health and Social Care Trust is towards the running of the building, the service they provide to the clients and the members that we have. I am happy to sit down with them and come up with an amicable arrangement.

“What is now going to happen is that we will sit down with the Southern Health and Social Services Trust. They have to justify the way they spend their money and that it is spent properly. We will sit down with them and enter into some form of service level agreement or contract for what we get. This keeps both parties right and you can guarantee that they are not going to whip it away from you.”

With the promise that the funding from the Southern Trust will remain in place Mr Duffy reiterated his clubs commitment to helping some of the most vulnerable within the society of Newry.

Different World

“We had a very successful 50th anniversary last year and the club is thriving. Come down any Tuesday night and you will see Gateway providing happiness and joy for so many people with learning disabilities. Once you enter the door of the premises you are into a different world. We provide a valuable service to people with learning disabilities.

“We give them something that they won't get unless it is given to them. There are a lot of people that need that extra wee hand in life to do things. This is what Gateway does. It empowers them to be part of the community. It gives them confidence to walk up Hill Street or go in and do their own shopping or to live on their own. We have come miles with the work that we do

Trust response

When asked to comment on the initial decision taken on the part of the Trust to cease funding to the organisation a Trust Spokesperson stated that the Trust recognises the valuable contributions of the Gateway Club.

“The Southern HSC Trust recognises the valuable contribution of Newry and Down Gateway Club and has engaged further with the organisation to assure of no service impact in year’.”