Burns Day Celebrations at the Vine Centre

Every Thursday afternoon is filled with laughter and conversation. These are not the sounds of children coming home from school but rather the sounds of our Pensioner's lunch club. the pensioners gather at 1pm for a meal and stay until 3pm for a varied programme. The meal includes a main course, dessert and tea/coffee all for £3.

Recently the pensioners had a great time celebrating the 250th snniversary of Robbie Burns' birth. The day kicked off with the traditional piping in of the Haggis followed by a spirited address to the Haggis provided by the Rev. Jack Lamb. After a meal of Scottish dishes and music, Rev. Lamb and Guilford Smith regaled the pensioners with toasts.

But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer Gie her a haggis!

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An' cut you up wi' ready sleight

A Man's a Man for a' that: For a' that, and a' that

Sad Farewell

Bill Whitley, the manager of the Vine Centre’s Advice Service, passed away on Thursday 12 February after a brief illness, at the age of 64.

Over the past decade, Bill had helped hundreds of local people each year with a wide range of problems, and was always known for his attention to detail and his determination to get the best possible result for his clients.

Although he had lived in Lisburn for most of his adult life, Bill was originally from the Shankill area, having been brought up in Rutherglen Street. He had been involved in advice work for thirty five years, initially as a volunteer with Lisburn Citizens Advice Bureau. After leaving lecturing in the mid 1990’s he continued that interest in a paid capacity with the Lisburn Welfare Rights Group, and then in London with the Quaker ‘Open Door’ Project, before coming to the Vine as Advice Manager in June 1998. By his own admission he was not entirely keen on the idea when the job was first offered to him, but he took it nonetheless – perhaps because it gave him a chance to return to an area he had been very familiar with as a boy.

Trevor Cummings, the Director of the Vine Centre, said: ‘Staff at the Vine Centre have been struck over the last few days by the number of former clients of Bill’s who have got in touch to express their sympathies. It’s clear that they didn’t just appreciate the work he did on their behalf, but also his attentiveness to them and his genuine interest in helping them through their problems. They weren’t just clients to Bill – they were people, and they deserved and got his best efforts at all times.’

Away from work, Bill’s main interest in life was cricket, specifically Derriaghy Cricket Club where he had served as Club President for many years. He also liked horse and greyhound racing – though he was always evasive when asked if he ever risked a few pounds on a flutter. For reasons best know to himself, he was also one of the few people outside Cowdenbeath to take an active interest in Cowdenbeath Football Club.

His funeral was held at Kilmakee Presbyterian church in Dunmurry, followed by committal at Roselawn Cemetery.