Ritchie awards £1.5million for new shared community facility in Coleraine

Minister for Social Development, Margaret Ritchie MLA today announced £1.5million funding for the construction of a new shared community development centre in Coleraine.

The Minister formally announced the award of funding to Coleraine Urban and Rural Network (CRUN) for the project from her Department’s Modernisation Programme Fund.

The investment has enabled CRUN to purchase a building in Brook Street in the centre of Coleraine which they will convert into a centre that will provide the local community with a wide variety of services under one roof including training and conference facilities.

This development will be progressed in conjunction with partner organisations:

• Causeway Volunteer Centre;
• Alliance Youth Works;
• Coleraine Citizens Advice Bureau;
• Triangle Housing Association;
• Age Concern.

Margaret Ritchie said: "It is encouraging to see voluntary and community led organisations grow and develop and through the Modernisation Fund, my Department is helping to support that growth in practical terms within the communities where needs exist.

"The creation of this new community facility will allow local community groups to work together in a shared space within the town centre for the benefit of the entire community.

"Promoting collaboration and encouraging good community relations is key to working towards a shared future and I welcome the hard work and vision of CRUN and its partner organisations in striving to achieve this in Coleraine through this project."

Notes to editors:

1. The objective of the Modernisation Fund is to support voluntary and community organisations to modernise to enable them to become more sustainable and deliver new and better services in an era of change. The capital programme will encourage collaboration and resource sharing among voluntary and community groups and will be managed across the schemes making up the programme.
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