Article written by the Irish Cultural Centre:

The Irish Cultural Centre has begun a fundraising campaign to save the centre from being sold.

The centre was one of a number of buildings which Hammersmith and Fulham Council voted to sell in February this year. As sitting tenants of the building in Blacks Road, the Irish Cultural Centre has the right of first refusal on the premises, but this requires that the asking priceof around £2 million must be raised by next April.

A new update from the centre thanks supporters for their support and continues:

We are now rolling out our fundraising campaign to save our Centre entitled 'Wear Your Heart for Irish Arts' and the wheels are beginning to turn.

Council Valuation Update
Crucial to the whole process, the council has delivered their official valuation on Friday April 15 2011. Negotiators for both parties will be meeting within the next two weeks to agree a figure. We will be doing our best to achieve a settlement figure that is workable and to follow this with a proposal to the council outlining how we are aiming to generate the funds and the time that we believe it will take to achieve that figure.

Meanwhile...

Fundraising Account
We have set up a separate bank account to collect funds where all fundraising monies will be collected. We can accept donations via cash, cheque (please make payable to Irish Cultural Centre), by card over the phone and online through our JustGiving account.

'Wear Your Heart for Irish Arts' Campaign Tee Shirts
With the Summer just around the corner, Tee shirts are a great way to spread the message. Our campaign Tee shirts are currently being manufactured in Malaysia and will be delivered to the Centre at the end of April. These Tee shirts will be available for sale at minimum price of £10 i.e. if you wish to pay more for a tee shirt, the additional money will be donated to the fundraising effort and will be gratefully accepted.

We will also be selling tee shirts online from our website, so, for those of you who are computer savvy this may be an easier way to obtain your tee (we will charge postage)

Another way to get a tee shirt is to do something for the campaign - it could be anything from organising a cake sale to a benefit concert, sponsored cycle etc.,etc. Let us know what you are planning, we’ll send you a tee shirt and all we ask in return is that you take a photo of the tee shirt being worn during your event and send it in to us so we can post it on our campaign noticeboard, facebook, website etc. A sort of 'been there, done that, got the Tee shirt' idea.

Monthly Campaign Update Meetings
We are holding monthly Campaign update meetings here at the Centre. The next one is scheduled to take place on Monday May 9 at 7pm. Thanks to all who have taken the time to attend the last two meetings. If you are interested in getting involved please come along.

‘Wear Your Heart for Irish Arts’ Dedicated Website
One of our friends, Andrew Cusack, has kindly offered his services, on a voluntary basis, to build us a website that will allow us to provide a centralised information point for all campaign information. This will include a calendar of fundraising events that are being scheduled both here at the Centre and in other locations. We are aiming to have this site live by Monday May16.

Fundraising Benefit Concert Dates for Your Diaries
June 17 – Legendary band DANÚ have offered to appear here at the ICC to play a benefit concert in support of our campaign!
September 15 – The one and only ‘DERVISH have confirmed they also wish to play a benefit concert here at the ICC.

HOW YOU CAN HELP TO SAVE THE IRISH CULTURAL CENTRE

• This is going to be mammoth task which can only be achieved through team effort and determination. We need as much help as we can get. Following is a list of things that would really help:
• Do you know a famous Irish personality who might be prepared to add their voice to our campaign?
• Are you a well known Irish performer, artist, writer or personality? Would you consider performing or even simply introducing a ‘Wear Your Heart for Irish Arts’ campaign event? Let us know!
• Organise an event and / or activity to support the Centre?
• Are you happy to join our collection ‘boxer’ team?
• Sponsor a ‘Wear Your Heart for Irish Arts’ event.
• Sponsor ‘Wear Your Heart for Irish Arts’ merchandise.
• Do you have a database to which you could send details of campaign message and appeal?
• Become a friend of the Irish Cultural Centre. You can visit our ‘JustGiving’ page and set up a monthly debit from your account. Doesn’t matter how small the monthly amount. It all helps!
• Are you an experienced fundraiser?
• If you have media experience we could do with your help to maximise our media coverage locally, nationally and worldwide and crucially, keep it going through the campaign.
• Are you a photographer? - Hobby or pro? Talk to us!
• A film-maker? - Hobby or pro? Talk to us!
• An event organiser? – Hobby or pro? Talk to us!
• An advertising guru? - Hobby or pro? Talk to us!
• Are you a whiz at working online social networks?
• Are you involved with a club? Maybe a social group, church group, sports club, class, school etc? In fact anywhere where a lot of people gather… If so, can you help us by putting up posters, distributing leaflets, getting our message into local newsletters, running a collection or a draw. Maybe you have other ideas that you think would work. Come and talk to us!

Cost Cutting
If you have an email account, please let us know if we can take you off our hardcopy mailing list and add you to our email database. This will help us to reduce the cost of printing and postage. Email us to let us know at: info@irishculturalcentre.co.uk

Anybody out there who can help us to cover the cost of printing leaflets, posters etc? This would be a great help!

Until our next update,
Best wishes for all of us here at the Irish Cultural Centre.

PS Don’t forget our wide range of classes for adults and children resume from Tuesday April 26. Music, dance, history, art, drama, singing, Irish language and more! Come along and support our excellent Irish cultural education programme.

IF YOU HAVE MORE SUGGESTIONS AND IDEAS, GET IN TOUCH. WE NEED MANY HEADS WORKING ON THIS NOW.

GO RAIBH MILE MAITH AGAT

The Irish Cultural Centre

April 20, 2011