Attwood provides community facility in Newtownards

Minister for Social Development, Alex Attwood, today handed over the keys to a building which is to become a new community facility in Newtownards.

The Department provided £300, 000 under its Modernisation Fund Capital Programme to enable Ards Development Bureau & Community Network to purchase the listed building in Frances Street for the creation of a community network centre.

The next phase of the project will involve extensive refurbishment and development of the building to provide a modern, accessible community facility for a wide range of voluntary sector organisations in the Ards area.

Alex Attwood said: “This facility will help bring together much needed services for the benefit of the residents of Newtownards. I want to see our Modernisation Fund provide facilities that can help community based initiatives become as effective as they can be. After all, community network centres provide a local focus and venue for delivering a wide range of activities to the communities. The fund is about providing support to organisations throughout Northern Ireland, enabling them to deliver better services to their local communities.’’

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.
2. Media enquiries to DSD Information Office on 028 9082 9496 / 07920 186639. Out of office please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699715440 and your call will be returned.