£1million investment sees Coalisland Community come a long way

Permanent Secretary of the Department for Social Development, Will Haire today visited Coalisland to see at first hand how over £1million in Neighbourhood Renewal funding has improved the area.

Mr Haire was accompanied by the Chair of Coalisland Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership, Cllr Francie Molloy on a tour of some of the area’s flagship projects funded by DSD such as Gortgonis Park, Ogras Centre, Craic Theatre, Coalisland Training Services and Enviornmental Improvement Schemes at Loughview Gardens and Mourne Avenue. He also heard from local representatives and residents how these had made a difference to the Coalisland community.

Will Haire said: "I welcome the opportunity to come to Coalisland and meet with members of the Coalisland Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership, local representatives and residents. It is important for me to see and hear the impact the work being carried out through the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme is having on areas such as Coalisland. It is clear from my visit today that much has and is being achieved.

"DSD has played its part in providing the funds for Coalisland to become a safer and more prosperous place to live. But the improvements made within this community would not have been possible without the dedication of the community and its leaders who have worked tirelessly to develop and implement innovative projects to improve the quality of life for all who live here.

"I would like to commend all members of Coalisland Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership who have worked together to build a vibrant, confident and cohesive community in Coalisland."

The total amount of money spent to date in Coalisland Neighbourhood Renewal Area amounts to £1,156,615.

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. 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.
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