A foundation established to honour John and Pat Hume is planning to open a centre in the couple’s home city.
It’s understood the intention is to have the centre in Derry city centre, within its famous Walls.
The Belfast Telegraph has learned that the vacant Austin’s building was up for consideration but ruled out for a number of reasons, not least due to the size and current state of the property.
SDLP founder John Hume passed away in August 2020, while wife Pat died the following September.
Plans are however advancing and, rather than looking to the past, it aims to be a forward-thinking project that stays true to the Hume family’s spirit of inclusiveness.
It will advocate the principles of John and Pat Hume and aim to inspire peacemakers.
The Hume Foundation was set up to honour the Nobel laureate and his wife, who “worked side by side for decades to bring positive change to the lives of the people of Derry and Northern Ireland”.
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Growing up, John and Pat Hume witnessed poverty, poor housing, inequality and injustice in Derry.
These experiences shaped their life-long commitment to peace and social justice. At the age of 27, Mr Hume became the youngest ever president of the Irish League of Credit Unions.
He was a leader of the Civil Rights Movement against discrimination and electoral abuse.
The ensuing struggle for civil rights for all citizens of Northern Ireland, and his deep commitment to non-violence, drew him inevitably into politics.
The Foundation is governed by a cross-community board of varying faiths and viewpoints who share the belief that difference is of the essence of humanity.
Board members include former Progressive Unionist Party MLA and leader Dawn Purvis; former deputy First Minister, MP and SDLP leader Mark Durkan, and new UUP leader Mike Nesbitt.
Sara Canning, whose partner Lyra McKee was killed by dissident republicans in Derry, and who is a Study Support Officer in Altnagelvin Area Hospital, is also among board members.