The Minister welcomed the joint working between the Department for Social Development and the City Council who made the project happen.
The Denmark Street Community Association offers a wide range of recreational, educational and social activities to its users from pre-school to pension age through the community centre. Belfast Regeneration Office provided Neighbourhood Renewal grant aid of £301,500 to refurbish the centre and the funding has enabled it to expand their current service provision to the local community.
Speaking at the opening of the centre, Margaret Ritchie said: “Denmark Street Community Centre plays a hugely important role in the community. Over the last twenty years it has gone from strength to strength thanks to the dedication of the many volunteers who give so freely of their time to help it run its activities and programmes.”
I have indicated that the delivery of Neighbourhood Renewal needs to move closer to local government, and the Denmark Street project shows that closer joint working with the Belfast City Council has been worthwhile.”
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
