McCausland announces funding boost for Omagh

Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland today announced funding of over £90,000 for CKS Community Centre in Omagh.
~ Tuesday, 7 February 2012

The funding will be used provide equipment and vital resources required for the newly refurbished Community Centre due to re-open early in 2012. The refurbishment project costing over £1,000,000 was funded jointly by the DSD Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and Omagh District Council.

The project will commence early in January 2012 in partnership with Omagh District Council.

Nelson McCausland said: “This project will provide real and significant benefits to residents in the Omagh Neighbourhood Renewal Area.

“The CKS centre provides opportunities for residents to access a wide range of activities, including training schemes, health programmes and educational projects. This funding will enable an increase in its usage by 300%. It is also hoped that a number of income generating initiatives will be brought forward in this new state of the art facility. This is good news for people in Omagh.”

Acknowledging the contribution from Omagh District Council and the good work being carried out by the Omagh Neighbourhood Partnership the Minister went on to say: “This announcement is a further demonstration of my Department’s commitment to work in partnership with other Government Departments and Agencies to improve the quality of life for people living in the Omagh Neighbourhood Renewal Area.”

The total amount of money spent on Neighbourhood Renewal to date in Omagh amounts to over £3.3million.

Notes to editors:

1. The Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy ‘People and Place’ was published in June 2003 to close the gap between the quality of life for people in the most deprived neighbourhoods and the rest of society. The Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy has four interlinking strategic objectives.
   
   - Community Renewal – to develop confident communities that are able and committed to improving the quality of life in their areas.
   - Economic Renewal – to develop economic activity in the most deprived neighbourhoods and connect them to the wider urban economy.
   - Social Renewal – to improve social conditions for the people who live in the most deprived neighbourhoods through better co-ordinated public services and the creation of safer environments.
   - Physical Renewal – to help create attractive, safe and sustainable environments in the most deprived neighbourhoods.
   - The project has a total value of £113,453.05.
2. Media enquiries to DSD Information Office on 028 9082 9078. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned