Attwood announces funding for Coalisland and Dungannon Education Programme

Social Development Minister, Alex Attwood has announced funding of £165,000 to improve educational opportunities for children and young people in Coalisland and Dungannon.

The funding will provide:

• a range of activities and courses in local schools;
• additional classroom support;
• youth services;
• after schools activities; and
• summer activities for young people.

The programme provides opportunities for children and young people in the Coalisland and Dungannon Neighbourhood Renewal Areas, a high proportion of who come from the travelling and migrant communities, to learn, interact and socialise together.

Alex Attwood said: "This project will provide real and significant benefits to people in the Coalisland and Dungannon. The Neighbourhood Renewal process aims to involve everyone in the area. Too frequently young people and others can be left out of the process. Work of this nature helps to stabilise and integrate communities.

"By contributing to this project my department is demonstrating its commitment to improving the quality of life and social conditions for young people living in the Neighbourhood Renewal Areas of Coalisland and Dungannon."

The project will also provide after schools activities and summer activities for the young people in the Coalisland and Dungannon Neighbourhood Renewal Areas, a high proportion of who come from the travelling and migrant communities. This will provide a number of safe places for young people to interact and socialise together.

The award has been made to the Southern Education and Library Board for the delivery of the project. The programme commenced in July 2010 and will run until 30 June 2011.

The total amount of money spent on Neighbourhood Renewal to date in Coalisland Neighbourhood Renewal Area amounts to £1,156,615. The total amount of money spent on Neighbourhood Renewal to date in Dungannon Neighbourhood Renewal Area amounts to £803,348.

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.
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