Ritchie announces funding boost for education in Craigavon

Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie MLA today announced a funding boost of £322,000 for a range of education projects in Craigavon.

The funding will enable a number of schools in the local area to:

• purchase a range of ICT equipment;
• facilitate activities such as after school clubs and reading recovery programmes;
• enhance other programmes such as the ‘Extended Schools initiative’, which aims to assist schools that are looking to extend the use of their facilities to benefit the local community; and
• assist a series of parental engagement projects, giving parents an opportunity to take a more active role in their children’s development.

Margaret Ritchie said: “This is good news for children in Craigavon. I recognise that if we are to tackle the long term spiral of deprivation we must improve the life chances of our children. It is vital that regardless of their background, they are given the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Results indicate that the educational attainment of children from deprived areas is consistently lower than that of children from more affluent areas. I want to help end this situation and this funding will help to achieve this.”

The Minister concluded by paying tribute to the Southern Education and Library Board, who developed the project and the Lurgan, Brownlow and North West Portadown Neighbourhood Renewal Partnerships who endorsed the programme. Margaret Ritchie said: “Neighbourhood Renewal funding is an excellent means of complementing and boosting innovative programmes which will make a difference for those living in deprived areas. This project will help to ensure that those participating in the activities available under the Education and Social Renewal Programme will have the best possible facilities available.”

The funding, which was made available from the Department’s Neighbourhood Renewal Investment Fund, aims to complement the existing Education and Social Renewal Programme for the three Neighbourhood Renewal Areas in Craigavon Borough - Lurgan, Brownlow and North West Portadown. The three areas also received funding of over £272,000 from the Department last year.

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.

2. 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.

3. Media enquiries to DSD Information Office on 028 9082 9078. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.