WE NEED YOUR HELP!
More than 50 years after the first group of young people visited the old cottage at Aurora, we are planning a complete re-vamp of our premises in the beautiful Glencree valley.
The Grove
In 1962, the old cottage was first used by Youth Groups from the Dun Laogháire area. It was a typical Glencree cottage, 100 years old with no water or electricity, but a perfect location to bring young people who would otherwise have little chance of experiencing the countryside.
Renovations were carried out by volunteers – youth leaders, club members and well-wishers.
In 1968, The Glencree Society was formed to purchase the cottage, to maintain the premises and 60 acres of land, and to look after bookings which began to flow from clubs in Dublin and beyond.
In 1970/71 a new hall/dormitory was built beside the cottage, with toilets, showers and a study/recreation hall. It was designed to accommodate mixed groups. The internal work was again carried by dedicated volunteers.
1977 saw the purchase of Aurora House, a two storey building 200 yards further down the valley, near the Glencree river. It provided further facilities for both youth and adult groups.
2020 PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
Having made many alterations and improvements over the years to our property we now wish to improve our campus further and bring it up to modern standards. The following are the main elements of our plan.
- To preserve the traditional 19th century Wicklow cottage. This requires re-roofing and insulation as well as new windows and doors that complement the original design of the cottage.
- To upgrade our residential area and create a new dedicated meeting space.
- To resurface our service lane from The Grove up to where it meets the County Council road.
- To open the side drains on to cater for winter rainfall that due to gravity flow automatically comes down our lane way.
- To provide eight new car parking spaces at The Grove together with a designated assembly area.
- To build a Sports Hall for indoor activities and a platform area for other outdoor sports.
We have been granted planning permission by Wicklow Co. Co. where it is required.
What we need
Estimated Total cost €340,000
To be funded from:
Existing funds € 70,000
Now sought €270,000
This is a major amount for a small volunteer organisation, but with your help the mission of The Glencree Society will continue for future generations of young people.
Why we need your support
- To widen the appeal of Aurora to facilitate modern social structures eg. Community groups, Transition Year groups, environmental, study and art groups.
- To enable us to continue the ethos of providing support and education to disadvantaged groups.
- This is a major amount for a small volunteer organisation, but with your help the mission of The Glencree Society will continue for future generations of young people.