'There are my friends wait me always.'
Based in Leisureland, Salthill, the Friend's Club was founded for
children of refugees and asylum seekers between the ages of 4 to13 who live
in the Eglinton Hotel.
The members of this club organize various activities for children that
are resident in the Englinton Hotel. They collect the children from our
Hotel every Monday evening. While at Leisureland, the children go
swimming or play football, rugby and tennis. The youngest draw and create
many kinds of handmade crafts. All children are very happy and they are
waiting impatiently for the next meeting.
The club also organizes weekend events such as excursions, the latest
one to Clonmacnoise, a site of great historical interest and an area of
conservation. Other weekend activities have included trips to the
theatre and public readings, as well as participation in the Macnas Arts
Festival Parade. The Friend's club will also participate in the planned
Halloween Parade later this year.
The Friend's club is not only for children. The Committee of the
Friend's Club has decided to help the adults too. In a pilot project in
January 2006, the Friends Club invited all those from the Western and
Eglinton Hotels interested in learning English and topics of Irish Culture.
The organizers of this project include Mairead O'Connor, Ciara Bradley,
Paul Carroll, Javi Gimenez, Sara Mas Gil, Claire Healy, Lauren
O'Loughlen and David O'Keeffe. They prepared and held many interesting and
useful classes for us. Some of the topics discussed include the History of
Ireland, its Nature, Irish Sport, the Educational system, Irish
legislation, etc. All adults who completed those courses received Certificates
from the Friend's Club.
On behalf of residents of the Eglinton Hotel I wish to thank all
members of Friends Club for your help and support to us and our children.
Thank you very much!
Dmitriy Versinin