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There are a select list of organisations in Newry that through their creators absolute dedication and the community's complete support have went from strength to strength. Newry Gateway Club which will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2023 is one of those clubs. Today the Newry family gathered to celebrate much achieved and look forward to what the club's golden anniversary will bring.
The Club's Mission Statement explains its raison dêtre "To provide a social outlet and leisure activities for adults and children with learning disabilities in the Newry and district area and to promote social awareness of the aspirations and needs of our members."
Cherished
Speaking at the event Council Chairperson Cllr Michael Savage remarked how Newry Gateway is cherished by the local community. Cllr Savage said "To say I'm humbled to be here today is an understatement. This is an organisation that is deeply cherished by the people of South Down, South Armagh and the greater Newry area, not just because of what it delivers on a day to day, week to week basis, but because it's an absolute statement of equality and fairness in the thinking of the people in this area. If you look at the ethos behind this club and what it was set up to do, from Willie right through to Jim, they continue to strive to look for new ideas and new principles and new openings to meet the need within our community. Those people who if this club wasn't here would not be given the equality and fairness and the uplift in life that they deserve.
"I have seen this club operate from I first came to Newry and I have been nothing but astounded by the attributes of the people who volunteer, the business community that get behind it, the people who have been here for decades, like Paddy, Like Willie, like others who have been here and given of their time freely and without any question in order to meet the needs of the young people who come through these doors. The fact that now we're looking beyond the over 25's means that this could be a lifetime experience, and a lifetime connection with those young people who then become adults and older people in life, because it's very easy in our society, and I think we have a responsibility as politicians to ensure that when young people get to a certain stage in life they're not forgotten about, they don't fall between stools, or they don't fall off a cliff in relation to their care, or access to a social outlet."
Cllr Savage continued "I think it's very important that we support Gateway tooth and nail over the coming years. I think it's without any shadow of doubt one the strongest community organisations we've been lucky enough to have in our district. It's here for 50 years, It has the capacity, be here for 500 years, because that need will always be here in humanity and I think when you look at humanity and you look at how it's personified in the way that people interact in this organisation, I think it's a beacon of light for this community. It's something that I think we can all within this district be exceptionally proud of."
The Council Chairperson concluded by commending those behind the club. "The people who have been behind it all of these years are pillars of our community and I don't say that lightly. There are people who have given of their time, their money and every sinnew within their body, that they can to improve the lives of the young people who have come to this club, seeking social interaction where years ago they would have been completely forgotten about.
"I think we're very lucky to have this club and I think it's a privilege as a council to be supportive. If ever we looked at what we've invested in over the years this is number one in my eyes because the community has benefited from you. Think of the families across this district that have benefited from this club being here. It speaks for itself. All you have to do is to come in of an evening and see the smile on the faces of the young people who use it. They walk in this door, they don't walk in, in some cases they're run in because this is their social outlet."
Declan McGivern
Willie McGivern was the first Chairman of Newry Gateway Club and believes only for his son Declan the club migh not have happened. McGivern said "I'm not sure if Gateway would have been here but for this wee fellow over here.[pointing to a photograph of his son Declan] That's my song Declan and he was born in 1966 with brain damage and a hair lip and it was a shock both to Bernadette and myself and the rest of the family.
"We didn't know how to cope. He didn't walk for three years. He didn't talk for three years but in 1970 Bernadette and I decided to take him to Philadelphia to the Doman Programme which entailed exercises physical and mental. We followed a program for the next three years at home. That program consisted of young people coming in and working with him. You take the child back to square one, creeping, crawling, and walking and then we had a big ladder right across the back and he had to swing on that ladder 10 times a day.
"At the end of those three years he was able to walk, he was able to talk and he was a whole different child. I must say it was a great great credit to the young people who came every week and to my wife Bernadette, brilliant people."
McGivern attended St Joseph's College in Belfast and he decided on a project which saw him go to Newry special care school to see how they coped with 'handicap' as it was called then.
He explains "Kathleen Cunningham the Principal said Willie, the children come to school they go home on the bus, there's not much social life could you do anything about that?"
There followed a visit to Mencap and Evelyn Greer who was the Chief Executive Officer there explained that Newry and Mourne was short of a gateway club so that ended up his project.
McGivern explains "I was very fortunate at that time because there was a nun in St. Joseph's Primary School, an English nun, Sister Ann Maria, and she used to visit the parents and children of handicapped, anyone who had a handicap, she would go round on a Sunday and one Sunday she arrived up to us at Barcroft and she took a great interest in Declan."
Sister Ann Maria got involved in the new gateway club. McGivern added "Sister Ann Maria, when I think back she was absolutely brilliant, she sang, she had drama and of course there was paintings and everything that children enjoy. They loved it."
They had their first meeting in the Bosco Club but because of steps and access issues it didn't last. Following a few enquiries the Gateway Club ended up in the Abbey where it spent 13 years before moving into the location on Kilmorey Street where they remain. Previously the building had been a Methodist Church, then a school and then Bosco Boxing Club before becoming derelict. The committee enlisted the help of whoever they could at the time in establishing Newry Gateway Club on the premises. Rory McShane, John Collins and Robin Prescott were just three of the many involved.
For to make their dream happen they had to raise £200,000. Killian Higgins came up with the idea of a Be a Brick - Buy a Brick campaign which was endorsed by local soccer legend Pat Jennings and that, pun intended, got the ball rolling.
Crediting all the people and all their hard work in making Newry Gateway Club a reality Willie said "These are people who gives their time freely and I can only thank the people of South Armagh, South Down and all the organisations but most of all I want to thank the young people who have given their support coming here night after night for 50 years. Some of them are gone, some of them are still here. Ladies and gentlemen. This Club is a credit to the people of this area."
Amazing Staff
The current club Chairman is Jim McDonnell. Speaking today McDonnell reiterated the first Chairman's comments "I'd like to take this opportunity right now to pay homage to the amazing staff volunteers both past and present, who have done an amazing job in the last 50 years and for the hundreds of people who have graced our doors in the last 50 years and the positive effect that both the staff and volunteers have had. I would like to thank you all on their behalf."
"Thinking of the changes over the years and plans for the future McDonnell said "In the past 50 years things have changed drastically within all disability services, but especially that of learning disability. We in Newry Gateway Club have been supporting our members and their families and carers for the last 50 years but we have recently been starting campaigns within the appropriate circles to try and improve services and experience not only for our own people, but for all people with a learning disability across the province. We've met with Ministers and we've started a new way of thinking for post school people with a learning disability."
A learning disability does not cure itself at the age of 25!
The Chairman continued "Having a learning disability does not cure itself at the age of 25. It's a lifelong disability that needs managed as much as any other disability and that has been lost in the last 100 years of Northern Ireland's history and the UK history. So we've been identifying ourselves lately as a fourth level educator, along with other local and national organisations, including Mencap and are campaigning to have all the statutory bodies ie the Department of Education, Department of Communities, Finance, having them on board to assist in having a modified living curriculum in place for those who are over the age of 18.
"As you're all aware age is just a number to a lot of our members. Moving on to the next 50 years, we will still be here providing a social outlet to all our members along with any support that the families and carers require. We intend to continue to campaign towards ourselves and other organisations receiving the national recognition as fourth level educators for adults with a learning disability and that Newry Gateway Club will be a shining light in changing how governments think about all with a learning disability in Northern Ireland. That's the least we can do from Newry Gateway Club."
Hidden Away
Rory McShane was also involved from the start and spoke of his pleasure being a part of the Gateway story. "Historically, people with learning disabilities back when I was very young, were kind of hidden away. It was something you really didn't talk about but organisations like Gateway, have changed that and have brought that front and central and people with learning disabilities are treated as they should be, as equal members of our community. I was delighted to see a case in Dublin, taken by a person in the courts recently, who had a learning disability and who was been discriminated against and who got compensation and that's how it should be, that people with learning disabilities are the same as the rest of us and deserve the same equality and the same respect as the rest of us and Gateway Club, and clubs like yours are to be congratulated on the work you do in that regard and I am very proud to be associated with you and the work that you have done and that you will continue to do."
Newry Gateway Club will have many exciting days ahead in 2023 for their Golden Jubilee. In 50 year they have changed the lives of so many local people, quite an achievement indeed.
