Hello Everyone,

During these difficult times of Coronavirus / COVID-19 the Newtownpark Pastoral Centre has been closed in line with Government and HSE Guidelines to protect each other.

I am delighted to tell you the Pastoral Centre has reopened on Monday 31st August 2020 with the Montessori School and on the 27th August Rowan House Afterschool was back with us as well. A number of our other classes and activities will be returning on a phased basis over September and October in line with Government 's Road Map.

I would like to reassure you that all measures have been taken to protect all users and visitors to the Centre. A deep clean of the full centre has been undertaken by our professional cleaning company Grosvenor Cleaning Services who have over 30 years' experience in the business and have won awards for their operating and cleaning practises.

Perspex screens have been installed in the Reception Area and the Coffee Dock, hand sanitisers and signage are in place throughout the building, the way we enter and exit the building has been revised to use several doors in the Centre to reduce the risk of close contact.

Common areas and toilet facilities have been reviewed to reflect the 2m social distancing rule and there will be a 30 minute time lapse between classes / activities to allow each room to be cleaned between bookings.

The current restrictions in place from Wednesday 19th August up to Sunday night of the 13th September have imposed increased restrictions on many of our Groups hoping to be back in the Centre over the first two weeks of September.

The dates and activities listed across the different categories on our website are provisional as at the end of August and will invariably change in the coming weeks as further updates to the Government's Road Map are announced.

A decision was taken by the Pastoral Centre Management Committee not to reopen The Coffee Dock in 2020, a review will be undertaken early in 2021. This decision was taken primarily to protect our volunteers and all of you who frequent The Coffee Dock to stay safe till such time as the Coronavirus / COVID-19 has become more stabilised following other areas of importance reopening i.e. Schools, Universities and routine health services.

Please take care of yourselves and each other and I look forward to seeing you back in the Centre in the coming months.

"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much"  Helen Kelleher

Deirdre Dornan - Manager