A member of Dundee’s deaf community has become embroiled in a row with a national charity.
Brian Hogan, secretary of theTayside Deaf Hub, hit out at Edinburgh-based Deaf Action’s decision to sell a meeting place he claims has been the “spiritual home” of many deaf people in the city for more than 80 years.
Mr Hogan insists closing the venueat 36 Roseangle will be a blow to the community, and claimed Dundeewon’t see a penny of the profits from the sale.
However, property owners Deaf Action say maintaining the building was simply no longer viable.
Mr Hogan said: “Deaf Action, acharity for deaf people, merged with Tayside Association for the Deaf when it lost the council contract to providesocial services to the deaf community a number of years ago.
“The building used for the provisionof these services had been used bydeaf people as a meeting place andclub for 80 years and more, and they always believed the building belonged to them.
“However, without their knowledge, the people entrusted with looking after their affairs changed from a charity to an organisation more like a company.
“It meant that the building now belonged to the organisation rather than the community.”
He continued: “When Deaf Action in turn lost the council contract, thebuilding remained with Deaf Action and they put it up for sale.
“Deaf Action were able to keep the building as long as they continued to provide a service in Dundee.
“But a lot of people becamedisenchanted and left to start their own group, Deaf Links, which has since become Tayside Deaf Hub.
“We felt we had no influence or a say in how the service was being run so are happy that we now have a community hub and an advocacy group who canrepresent us.
“It is, however, galling to thinkthat the deaf community of Taysidewill not see a penny of the money made from the sale of their spiritual home at Roseangle.”
Deaf Action chief executive Aidan McCarry insisted that all money raised from the property sale would go towards services in Tayside.
He said: “The property dates back to the 1800s and we felt it would cost an enormous amount of money to make it a viable building.
“We have now located a property on Francis Street, which we believe willbe more accessible and which will act as an independent space to meet for deaf people.
“The commitment from the board of Deaf Action is that the money generated from the sale of the property will be spent in Tayside.”