The Greek community of Sydney will watch with great interest the Annual General Meeting of the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW (GOCNSW), to be held on Sunday, December 5 at 2 pm. Two matters of interest will dominate the meeting: (a) the construction of the coveted, and much discussed, Greek Cultural Centre, and (b) the rumours about the sale of the Greek Orthodox Community Home for the Aged in Earlwood.
Cultural Centre:
In this historical General Meeting, detailed information will be provided on the “Cultural Centre” – an impressive three-storey building that promises to cover all the cultural and social needs of Hellenism with multipurpose rooms, such as a theatre, restaurant, offices, conference rooms, library etc.
The construction of the Cultural Centre, which is expected to be completed in five years, is estimated to cost more than $20 million and it is certain that State and Federal grants will be requested, as well as funds from the Greek government. The financial contribution from organisations and associations of our community is also expected.
Greek Orthodox Community Home for the Aged:
While the plans for the construction of the Cultural Centre are a dominant topic in the discussions of our community, the rumours about the possible sale of the Greek nursing home in Earlwood took everyone by surprise.
The Greek Herald received numerous phone calls from members of the Greek community who expressed their concern about the possibility of the nursing home being sold. At this stage, we must emphasise, that it has been categorically denied by the President of GOCNSW, Mr Haris Danalis, and committee members of the Greek Orthodox community.
It should be noted that in the financial year 2020-2021 the Greek nursing home of the community showed profits of $163,131 compared to $455,755 in the previous financial year. This reduction is of course due to the restrictive measures for COVID-19. In the same period, community childcare centres increased their profits from $145,233 to $313,717.
Many, however, justifiably argue that if the nursing home had shown an annual profit even in the difficult period of the pandemic, why talk of its sale?
