The Irish Wheelchair Association reopened Station House as their New Community Centre in Waterford

placeholder image — The Irish Wheelchair Association

The Mayor of Waterford among others attended the event

The Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) celebrated the official opening of their new community centre, Station House in Waterford.

The event was attended by Mayor of Waterford, Cllr. Jason Murphy, along with many members and employees of the organisation.

Located in the heart of Waterford city, the new centre will serve as a home for young adults who are part of IWA's School Leaver Service. This strategic location aligns with the organisation's mission of supporting people with disabilities to be part of the community.

The expansion of the community centre will provide IWA with the capacity to grow their services and enable members to participate in more community events.

The school leaver service has already had a profound impact on the lives of many members, with success stories of increased independence, college attendance, and work experience opportunities.

Liam Saunders, Area Manager for Irish Wheelchair Association, said "We're delighted the centre is finally open. So much hard work has gone on in the background to make this happen. I would like to thank everyone who has played their part in ensuring this dream has become a reality. I am delighted to hand the building over to our members today."

Waterford Mayor, Cllr Jason Murphy, added, "It's a privilege to be invited here today to officially open IWA's new building. We are extremely proud to have it in Waterford city and can't wait to see how the programme grows to support more people with disabilities in the Waterford area. It is superb to see a vacant building in Waterford City brought back to life and I couldn’t think of a better purpose for the building than home to IWA’s members."

IWA would like to thank the HSE for the continued support of the School Leaver Programme along with the landlord of the building and building company Causeway Group for their support with this project.

IWA’s CEO Ann Marie O’Grady was also in attendance and said; “I am incredibly proud to be hear today. People are at the heart of everything we do at IWA and this building is opening today because of our dedicated people who continue to have a vision for the future of our members. This state of the art building will allow our members to grow and access Waterford City.”