Ritchie announces £2million boost for small community groups
Wednesday, 6 June 2007Small community groups in deprived areas in Northern Ireland will benefit from a £2 milllion investment announced by the Social Development Minister today.
Margaret Ritchie MLA, speaking at an event in Newry this afternoon, announced the 2007/2008 allocations from the Local Community Fund. More than 60 areas in 18 District Council areas will receive support.
The Minister said: “As a local Minister I want to make a real difference to the lives of ordinary people living in difficult conditions. I wish to ensure that funding provides a real incentive to the smaller community groups who have difficulty accessing mainstream sources of funding. That is where the Local Community Fund comes into its own. I look forward to visiting some of the recipients in the future to see the positive impact of this programme.
“I realise that £2 million is not a huge amount of money when spread across Northern Ireland. But I know that a relatively small injection of money can make a big difference to a struggling community. For example, it could be used to refurbish a community house, spruce up a derelict area or invest in training and work with young people. These are small but vital projects that can improve the quality of life.
“Things like this can help a community to build up the capacity to help itself. The £2 million allocated for the 2007/2008 will be used to enable groups and organisations to tackle disadvantage and to build leadership for those communities in most need. As Minister for Social Development, I am determined to make sure that our policies and programmes to support capacity building make a real and sustainable difference in our most needy communities.”
The Local Community Fund complements the support the Department for Social Development provides through the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy for the top 10% most deprived communities. Fifteen Intermediary Funding Bodies comprised Councils and Local Strategy Partnerships, will be responsible for facilitating local consultation to develop community ideas, identifying appropriate activities to be supported by the Fund and administering the funding process.
Other bodies involved in the delivery or facilitation of the Local Community Fund will be the North West Development Office, Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland who deliver the Programme in Belfast.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. The Local Community Fund targets those living in the 11%-20% most deprived communities as defined by the Noble Index of Deprivation 2005.
2. The allocations for 2007/2008 are:
Antrim £50,901
Ards £24,409
Belfast….
Andersonstown £59,536
Ballysillan £32,218
Bloomfield £28,896
Chichester Park £27,485
Cliftonville £29,311
Falls £60,865
Highfield £30,059
Island £35,373
Ladybrook £71,078
Legoniel £27,900
Sydenham £26,239
Upper Malone £27,402
Carrickfergus £49,572
Coleraine £40,770
Cookstown £71,411
Craigavon £224,361
Dungannon and
South Tyrone £70,248
Fermanagh £37,034
Larne £22,004
Limavady £50,569
Lisburn £62,526
Londonderry £124,304
Newry and Mourne £255,664
Newtownabbey £147,554
North Down £45,420
Omagh £26,073
Strabane £239,805
3. Media enquiries to DSD Information Office on 028 9082 9078.
Connect with US
