THE future of a charity dedicated to preserving Irish culture and heritage in the West Midlands hangs in the balance due to a decline in the number of members.
Set up in 1994, the Birmingham Irish Heritage Group is a non-profit charity seeking to further and preserve Ireland’s rich cultural and historical legacy within Birmingham and the West Midlands region.
This week Group chairman Risteárd Sinclair appealed for those with an interest in Irish culture to help save the organisation by joining up as a member.
“This is an appeal to the Irish diaspora of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands area,” he told The Irish Post.
“Unfortunately, despite our best efforts to attract new members, our numbers are in annual decline, and it would be no exaggeration to say that unless new members can be found, the group’s future looks bleak,” he explained.
“To see first-hand masses of Irish support at the annual St Patrick’s Day Parade and yet have such meagre group attendances appears to me a sad indictment of the genuine sentiment towards safeguarding our shared heritage,” he added.
“Is it a case of general ignorance, complacency, lack of interest? They say ‘when it’s gone, it’s gone forever’; it would be a great pity to see an organisation like the Birmingham Irish Heritage Group rendered merely another fond memory.”
The Group, founded by the late Mick Walsh, convenes on the third Tuesday of every month for a variety of events, including guest lectures, discussions, musical performances and film screenings.
To learn more about the group or become a member click here.
