Attwood launches newly refurbished Dunclug community centre

Social Development Minister Alex Attwood today visited Ballymena to officially open the newly refurbished community centre in the Dunclug estate.

The refurbishment involved work to the interior of the community centre in the Dunclug Shopping Precinct to provide a modern, safe and user friendly community facility with accessibility for everyone.

The Residents’ Association now aims to encourage more local people to use the centre and combat social exclusion by attracting new health and fitness activities and disability awareness/activity programmes.

Alex Attwood said: “The refurbishment of the Dunclug community centre is great news for people in the local area. It will help create a stable community by providing a facility for different groups living in the estate to come together. Youth issues and problems about how the local community can work together can be addressed in a safe environment with accessibility for all. ”

The Minister continued: “I welcome the progress that has been made to date in Dunclug and I continue to be fully committed to the implementation of the Dunclug Action Plan.

“I want to target resources in a way which delivers maximum impact and I want to work with communities to achieve that. This project represents another positive step forward for the future of the Dunclug area.”

The Department for Social Development contributed £138,000 towards the Community Centre Refurbishment project with the remaining £23,300 provided by Ballymena Borough Council.

The Mayor of Ballymena, Cllr Maurice Mills stated: “We in Ballymena firmly believe in Partnership to deliver our citizens’ needs and I am delighted we received such significant funding from the Department to deliver this much needed high quality refurbishment, which will benefit the local community. I am particularly delighted to know that local people and officials from DSD and Council, worked hand in hand to achieve this fine result, and I believe this is the way we need to do things in the future.”

Town Clerk & Chief Executive, Mrs Anne Donaghy added: “This project was one of a number of projects within the Dunclug Action Plan suggested by Ballymena Borough Council and the engagement process provides a model to build on in taking Community planning forward. Joined up planning and provision of services at the local level and involving all statutory partners, for me, is the future of a better quality of life for all.”

During his visit to the area, Alex Attwood also took the opportunity to visit the recently completed Dunclug Play Park, which DSD also provided funding of £112,128, with the remaining £75,050 provided by Ballymena Borough Council. The Minister paid tribute to the Council and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for their contributions to funding and agreeing to maintain the play park.

Notes to editors

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