A shared future is at the heart of the support she is giving through her Modernisation Fund. It has assisted the football club to transform their current facilities. The new community suite has been developed to help encourage wider community involvement in sports and recreational activities for all age groups and backgrounds. It will also help to extend the range of activities at the Club, such as:
- •armchair aerobics for older people;
- •personal development and education programmes; and
- •sport for young people.
The redevelopment also provides modern, attractive changing facilities.
uring the official opening ceremony before an Armagh v Dublin challenge match, Margaret Ritchie said: “I want to see my Modernisation Fund providing the most modern facilities to make community based initiatives more effective. This is about providing support to organisations throughout Northern Ireland, enabling them to deliver better services and a shared future to their local community. A number of funders and the local Council have worked together to make this project possible. A great example of team work.
“I am particularly pleased at Pearse Og’s ethos of reaching out to all sections of the community including older people and our eastern European neighbours who have settled in the area. The GAA, like other sporting organisations, can be a very positive focus for communities. ”
Notes to editors
1. The Modernisation Fund is a £15million Capital programme which aims to support voluntary and community organisations to modernise, enabling them to become more sustainable and deliver new and better services in an era of change.
2. The Modernisation Fund is managed by the Voluntary and Community Unit (VCU) in the Department for Social Development. The Modernisation Fund Community Partnership (MFCP) delivers the Fund on behalf of VCU. The MFCP comprises three organisations:- Co-operation Ireland, Community Evaluation Northern Ireland (CENI), and Community Places (previously Community Technical Aid).
3. The programme has been broken down into three themes, based on grant award;
Theme 1 - £9million – Pilot infrastructure Scheme (£300k-£1.5 m);
Theme 2 - £3million - Community Facilities Improvement Scheme (£100k - £300k);
Theme 3 - £3million – Small Capital Grants (£20k - £100k).
4. The Pearce Og scheme is being funded by a DSD contribution of £100,000; Sports NI £245,000; Pearce Og GFC £80,000 and Armagh District Council £8,000.
5. Media enquiries to DSD Information Office on 028 9082 9496. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned
