The Centre is now finished and "up and running". The first groups to use it (including Junior Yearly Meeting) have found it to be a first class facility, very user-friendly, and it has added greatly to the success of their gatherings.

The article given below appeared in March 2006 edition of The Friendly Word, shortly before the Centre was finished. The article, together with the pages that follow it, outline the background, and the actual creation, of this facility. There was subsequently a report of the opening event in the October 2006 Friendly Word.

Moyallon Centre nears completion

Many of you will be aware that building work commenced back at the start of May 2005 on the new residential conference centre at Moyallon. Just short of a year onwards, it is near completion and we are excited about the potential this asset has for Friends in Ireland. Very appropriately, the centre will take its first Quaker group over Easter when Junior Yearly Meeting will help us resolve any teething problems!

Over the past year the committee have had countless meetings as the amount of work and decisions to be made dramatically increased. While the project has not been without problems, we have been very fortunate to have had good guidance from our architect, David Anderson and his team. However, the work continues in the forthcoming months and years in the running and management of the centre.

Young Friends have been instrumental in sharing the vision for this project and in getting it to this stage. This remains as over the last number of months Young Friends and those not so young, have undertaken the internal painting of the building resulting in an enormous cost saving to the project.

The capital cost of the building, professional fees and fixtures & fittings are £640,000 sterling. To date we have raised £525,000 leaving a balance of £115,000. We endeavour to complete the project without having a huge debt to pay off after building work is complete and therefore the committee continue to fundraise.

We thank Friends for their generous financial and prayerful contribution to the project and look forward to seeing you at the official opening of the Centre in the Autumn.

For further information see contact details above.

Nigel Hampton, Moyallon Development Committee

Junior Yearly Meeting was duly held at the Centre. It was a great success, and the premises proved perfect for such gatherings. Ed.

The notes and illustrations which follow give some more background:

The avenue

The entrance to the Meeting House

The site before work really began - April 2005

Realising it would only be used by them a limited number of times in the year, Young Friends broadened their vision into a Residential Conference Centre that would be of use to all Friends for one-day, or week-end, or longer gatherings. At that stage it became clear that there would be many other church, or inter-denominational, or community, groups for whom the premises could be attractive.

The committee of Young Friends, with the support of some older Friends and a very helpful architect, set about planning a suitable premises and began raising funds. Donations and subscriptions have been generous, and the shortfall is manageable, especially as some short term interest free loans have been made available to the committee to avoid payment of bank interest.

No 188: Work in progress - early autumn 2005

One of the architect's perspectives of the centre.

The boundless expenditure of energy, enthusiasm and time has now borne fruit.

Downstairs floor plan>

Upstairs floor plan