Brochures

Facebook

Special Offers

Promotions

Email News

Hostel and Self Catering Accommodation
at the Benwiskin Centre, Co. Sligo

Ballintrillick Environmental Group

Ballintrillick Environmental Group opened The Benwiskin Centre in July 2000.  The basic premise of the Centre is that it is a Community Centre in the wintertime with classes, functions, entertainment and a place for the local community to use for meeting and socials.   It is a Tourist Hostel for the summertime, which is the main revenue generator for the building.  In reality, over the past 9 years we have found that we actually have guests all year round.   Depending on visitors staying, we also have community usage in the summertime too.  It’s a fine balance trying to accommodate both!

Nine people formed Ballintrillick Environmental Group (BEG) in March 1992 when concerns were raised about the high levels of illegal dumping in the scenic area of Ballintrillick, North Co Sligo.  A clean up day was organised which mobilised local interest and support, and has now become an annual event with 2009 seeing the 17th Annual clean up.  

In 1994 the Group decided to become a Limited Company with a board of eleven directors.  At this time they approached Coilte in relation to developing the overgrown Barytes Mill site at the base of The Gleniff Horseshoe Drive.  The Group purchased this site and, with the assistance of two Fás CE Schemes, have cleared away the overgrowth, rebuilt the stables, reconstructed the water wheel, erected picnic tables and developed a woodland walk around it.

In 1996 the Group participated in a FAS training programme.  It was during this course that the Group identified and considered various opportunities for local development.  One of their ideas that emerged was that of developing the old Vocational School in Ballintrillick.

The School had remained largely unused, was not maintained by a caretaker and had fallen into disrepair through neglect and vandalism.  It was only used on an ad-hoc basis for Group meetings and some fundraising social events.  So the Group approached the County Sligo VEC to obtain a long-term lease, which would be necessary for any major development work on behalf of the Group.  This was achieved in June 1999, when a 20-year lease was approved.

In 1996 a feasibility study was carried out to assess the viability of a Hostel co-existing with a Community Centre.  The positive results from this secured capital funding from Peace & Reconciliation, Sligo LEADER Partnership Board and the International Fund for Ireland.  Further funding for equipping was acquired from Sligo County Enterprise Board, Social Welfare and The Ireland Funds.  Finally a loan was obtained from the Sligo County Enterprise Fund and fundraising covered the shortfall.  A further report was compiled by a member of the Group as part of the Diploma in Community Development Practice, which researched the viability of using the school as a dual purpose building, thus fulfilling conditions set out by P&R.  A marketing plan was also commissioned around this time.  

In 1998 and 1999, the Group sponsored 2 successful FAS CE Schemes and they had 4 successful Student Summer Jobs Scheme placements, who held art workshops with local children.  

Charitable Status was awarded to the Group in January 1999, which has been extremely important as they continue fundraising the cover their financial commitments.  

In September 1999 they retained Gerry Clancy as Contractor and construction and refurbishment work began on the School, which is now called The Benwiskin Centre.  The refurbished, renovated and extended Centre opened in July 2000 and has a large common room/community hall, a fully equipped kitchen, a dining room, a laundry, a drying room, male/female and disabled access toilets and showers, six en-suite bedrooms that can accommodate 26 people and a fully equipped office and reception.  

The Centre has now been open since July 2000 and currently employs 3 full time and 2 part-time staff with the aid of funding from Pobal.   The staff comprises a Manager, an Assistant, 2 Housekeepers and a Caretaker.  Along with this we give ad-hoc employment to around ten tutors a year.  There is also reliance on voluntary help at times from members of BEG and members of the community.  

All profits from The Centre are used to provide further developments by BEG in the Centre and Community. 

An example of this was when the group recently installed Solar Panels and a Wood Pellet Boiler at the Centre with the purpose of eventually eliminating their need for oil thereby using natural energy and easing their dependence on fossil fuels.   The solar panels have been jointly funded by County Sligo Leader Partnership Company under their National Rural Development Programme and Ballintrillick Environmental Group.   The Solar Panels were installed by Thomas Taaffe and Peter Schneider.  Arigna Leader together with the Swiss Company Energidalen installed the pellet boiler.   This project was funded by County Sligo Leader Partnership Company.  The Benwiskin Centre is one of 3 pilot projects being used to demonstrate the use of wood pellet boilers for heat generation in community run projects.  

We continue to seek further funding to enable us to do even more work.  For example this year we received grants from; Katherine Howard Foundation and Sligo County Childcare Committee to enable us to purchase new toys and books for our weekly Parent & Toddler Group; Sligo County Council Arts Dept. and Sligo County Childcare Committee to assist in holding the children’s Summer Camp; Sligo County Council Arts Dept. have also approved funding for a living willow sculpture project in the grounds of the Centre this Autumn; Sligo VEC towards the tutor’s fees for our Adult Art Classes; HSE (Lottery funding) towards the purchase of a new TV for the centre and electrical work.