Girne Municipality has completed the reorganisation of the Old Girne Town Hall and transformed it into a Social Life Center.
Courses and workshops for children, young people and adults will be held in the building, which will be reopened under the name of Girne Municipality Social Life Center, affiliated to the Social Affairs Branch. The building, in which computer, sewing workshop and art workshop materials are provided by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, will be opened at 11:00 on 18th December 2020.
In the information given by the Girne Municipality, the Counselling Support Center and the Olive Table will also be located in the building, in addition to the courses and workshops organised by the Social Affairs Branch. The December 2020 to March 2021 Course Program, which has been prepared, has started enrolment until 15 December 2020.
Girne Mayor Nidai Güngördü emphasised that the pandemic process that has affected the world in the last year has caused a change in the priorities of local governments, and said that the importance of production is felt more.
Güngördü stated that this process caused the feelings of love, solidarity and empathy to gain more importance, and with the move to the new building, it was decided to include the old town hall, which is located at the most important point of the city, into the social and educational life of the city.
Güngördü said, “By embracing all our people, children, youth, adults and old people, we aim to contribute to our personal and social development with various courses and activities from culture to arts, technology to sports.”
Wishing the Social Life Center, which will shed a new light on the region and is at an important point such as the market center for the development and socialisation of the society, to be beneficial, he thanked everyone who contributed to the realisation of this project, members of the assembly and staff, as well as TİKA officials for their contributions.
Giving information about the project, Girne Municipality Social Affairs Branch Chief Misli Kadıoğlu stated that they aim to enable children, young and adult generations to come together and socialise with each other, to enjoy the pleasure of producing and learning, with the program organised for all age groups at the Social Life Center. Stating that they aim to provide development opportunities for people from all walks of life in the city life with the new center to be opened, Kadıoğlu said that the Girne Municipality Information and Support Center, which was opened two years ago and provides psychological counselling and support services to the people of the city, has moved to this location.
Pointing out that the Social Affairs Branch has approximately one thousand members over the age of 65, Kadıoğlu said that the elderly people in the city will spend their time at home by producing items and socialising, and they will find an environment that will contribute to their clinging to life, through sewing, handicraft, technology and literacy courses for women. She stated that the level of participation will be supported and a course and workshop environment has been created for the education, learning and development of children, young people and adults.
Kadıoğlu stated that initially there will be a four-month program, including basic tailoring course for women, jewellery design course, technology course, patchwork, cocoon business course, interactive English beginner course, Turkish literacy course. She underlined that a chess course, English beginner course, dance course, technology course, art course for people over 65, pilates, chess course for children, English beginner course, and Turkish literacy course will be organised for young and adults.
Kadıoğlu stated that the Municipality has found social activities for disabled individuals insufficient so far, and in this context, with the move to the new service building, they established the Girne Municipality Disability Unit simultaneously with the establishment of the Girne Municipality Social Affairs Branch. Kadıoğlu underlined that they aim to open a new window to the lives of disabled people by organising this center for disabled people because they have easier access to the disabled people living in the city and they can continue their activities more effectively.
The courses will continue until March 2021, with both periodic and continuous courses and workshops suitable for all age groups, and registration can be made until 15 December 2020. For detailed information and registration, the phone number 0392 815 15 08 can be called.
Source (Turkish): Girne Municipality
