Gateway's President

Message from Club Leader  – Thomas Haighton

After the sudden death our president Madge Wright MBE in March 2008 we as a club were devastated as Madge was the main driving force behind the club. Not only did gateway lose a President but we lost a lifelong friend.  Gateway continued to battle on after this shock and at our AGM 2008.  It was felt by the chairman (Trevor Monteith) that the honorary president post should be left vacant this year in memory of Madge, he also felt that no one could replace her. The committee agreed and this was the case up until our 2010 AGM meeting. Trevor again said that he felt there was no one who could step into Madge’s shoes and the committee meeting ended.

After that meeting a few people talked about why no one had proposed that Trevor become president,  after all he has been in the club for over 30 years. I spoke to a number of people regarding this and it was obvious after talking to allot of people that Trevor should have been nominated at that meeting. After speaking to our present Chairman (John Devine) our secretary (Rosland Hart) the volunteers and most importantly our members we felt that we had to speak to Trevor and ask him if he would take the post as Honorary President as we felt he deserved it, to our delight he agreed.

Trevor has done over and above his duties in all the posts he has held within the club and continues to be our longest standing volunteer.

I would like to firstly thank Trevor for accepting the role he now has and secondly for the on-going support he has giving both Gateway and myself during my role as leader.

 Good Luck!

All about Trevor Monteith – Gateway’s new President 2010

I joined Gateway in Sept 1980 when Sally Anne (my Daughter) left Rosstulla, as she had just reached 16. A lady by the name of Madge Wright had rung me, and asked if I would like to bring Sally Anne down to The Adult Centre in Ellis St on a Wed night to the Gateway Club.  I had two questions – - firstly, who was this Madge Wright lady, and secondly   – just what was Gateway?

On my first visit, I was asked if I could stay on that night, and maybe the next week or two as well, just to see Sally Anne settled in, and sure (as they said) I would be bringing her down to the Club anyway. I stayed the night and the next, and have been there ever since covering some thirty years in the role of a Helper. Within 12 months of joining, I was on the Committee, and during the first year I was asked to take over the Treasurer’s job, which I did and held for “umpteen” years. I only managed to get rid of it (temporarily) when I passed it on to my daughter Lesley, who had followed Sally Anne and me into the Club as a Helper. I held other posts for short periods, before being appointed Vice Chair, which led in due course to becoming Chairperson — a good many years ago now.

I thoroughly enjoy my Committee work, but the Wednesday night meetings are the real Gateway. Unfortunately, nearly all the Committee members of my early years are no longer with us, but the same can not be said for the Club Members, with a good number of faces from the 1980’s still there every Wed night. We seemed to have a stronger base of Helpers with a daily working knowledge of Learning Disabilities, which gave us the drive and confidence, to head off most years on more adventurous breaks – of which many “interesting” stories could be told. On a day trip to the Isle of Man, I recall resigning myself to an overnight stay in Douglas , as a head count just before the ship cast off, showed we were one short. However, as I ran down the quay side here was a certain member strolling unconcerned up towards the ship.

Over these thirty years, I have also found myself serving such offices as Secretary/Treasurer/Vice Chair and Chair of such as the former Hawthorns Parents Association, and the current Carrickfergus and District Mencap Society, of which I am Treasurer and Trustee. On each of these Committees, which are linked with Gateway itself, my very good friend the late Madge Wright, was never far from my side, guiding me through the Learning Disability field. Our records show that Madge had been Gateway’s President from the very start of the Club some thirty six years ago, and following her death a couple of years ago, I am now deeply honoured to be asked to fill her shoes in this post. While I will try, the task is quite simply impossible, but I can only do my best, both at Club and Committee level. My job is however made all that much easier, with a great bunch of fellow Helpers, most ably led by Thomas Haighton and his two Assistants, Laura and Jemma. With everybody’s help, I am confident we will go from strength to strength, with the present membership just short of the 100 mark. However, I don’t think I will do another thirty years ! !