Derry cannot afford to be without a drop-in centre for its street drinkers: rally told

Derry cannot afford to be without a drop-in centre for its street drinkers, a rally in the city was told this afternoon.

Over 100 people attended the demonstration outside Foyle Haven in support of the centre which is threatened with closure due to a cut in funding.

The John Street facility needs up to £200,000 to prevent it from shutting down.

The current funding is set to run out at the end of the March.

Organised by UNISON, today’s rally was told by union spokesperson, Niall McCarroll, that the 11 staff at the centre were issued with “protective notice” two weeks ago.

He said the cut in funding was “not acceptable” and “enough is enough.”

Street drinker Pat Campbell made a passionate plea for the centre to be kept open.

Addressing those present, he said: “I am Pat Campbell. I am a volunteer with Foyle Haven and I went in there within an hour of it opening in 2001.

"It was the greatest place ever opened in Derry for us street drinkers. Everyone of them loved it. “It is a place Derry desperately needs and cannot afford to do without.

“I hope they come across the money to keep it open and I hope it never ever closes.”

He concluded: “Keep the Haven open, always!”

Among those who attended were Sinn Fein Foyle MLA Raymond McCartney and Independent councillors on Derry City and Strabane District Council, Sean Carr, Darren O’Reilly and Paul Gallagher.