AN idea floated on Facebook for a soup kitchen to be set up in the Clinton Centre, Enniskillen has been knocked on the head by centre management.
However, a spokesman stressed that they were in total sympathy with the project, having made the cafe in the centre available in the past to a religious group for a mobile soup kitchen in the town.
“We haven’t the space. It’s as simple as that”, a spokesman told the Herald this week. They may have got the impression that, with the hostel no longer operating, we had space there and, likewise the fact that the cafe is no longer operating.
“But, the cafe has been converted into a One Stop Shop for supporting new business enterprises, and the hostel is now a campus to accommodate educational groups.”
The spokesman insisted that the Facebook description, ‘the recently closed Clinton Centre’ was totally inaccurate.
“Absolutely not. This was drawn to my attention. Otherwise, the idea (for a soup kitchen) is an excellent one. In the past, we would have supported a religious group that was using our kitchen as a venue.
“They hadn’t premises of their own, so they would make up the food packages and take out the coffee and soup to people in need around the Townhall.”
On Monday last, over 400 ‘likes’, ie people who agreed with the soup kitchen idea, said so on Facebook, and the actual idea was shared nearly 400 times.
The original Facebook page described the Clinton Centre as, ‘an ideal location in Enniskillen to offer food/lodging this Christmas to those less fortunate than ourselves’.
Its creator said the page had been set up simply to raise awareness, ‘about a public building which is currently lying vacant after considerable public funding and European grant aid’.
The message continued: “The building contains a hostel and state of the art cooking facilities.
Surely, our local political representatives, Fermanagh District Council and local businesses could use their expertise to turn this facility into a temporary Food Bank/ Soup Kitchen/ Homeless Shelter this winter.”
People were then invited to click LIKE & SHARE if they agreed with the idea. #givesomethingback
But, while the centre spokesman insisted that this information was inaccurate, he was supportive of the idea of a soup kitchen.
“There are people out there with great intentions to do something, and I’d like to think we all have got that sort of focus. But, as I say, the cafe has been converted into a One Stop Shop and the hostel is now used to accommodate educational groups.
To read more.. Subscribe to current edition
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere