Ritchie celebrates ‘growth’ of Cloona Oasis Centre

Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie today visited Cloona Oasis Centre in west Belfast.

She took part in a Cultural Day at the Centre, where performers from across the community, including cheerleaders from Sandy Row, Irish dancers and Ulster Scots musicians, entertained local families. Ms Ritchie planted a tree to mark the start of work on business units at the site, which are being partly funded by over £350,000 by Department for Social Development (DSD).

She commented: “Today’s event has been a particularly enjoyable opportunity for me to see the variety of activities taking place at Cloona Oasis Centre. The story of the Centre is one of a local community working together with statutory bodies to identify and tackle local problems. It typifies just what an oasis should be – a place of peace, safety or happiness.

“A strong and progressive community can only come about through integration and inclusion. The range of projects offered at the Centre is an excellent illustration of how a partnership approach can make a real difference to the lives of local people.”

The Cloona Oasis Centre already delivers a wide variety of services in an area faced by social and economic disadvantage. These include training, counselling and activity programmes. The six planned units will be available at an affordable rate for use by local community groups and businesses. They will be located on 1.25 acres of land around Cloona House. Funding for the £600,000 project is being provided by DSD, the International Fund for Ireland and Lisburn City Council.

The Minister continued: “The planned new business units represent the next stage in the evolution of services provided by Cloona Oasis Centre. They will help nurture community activity and enterprise by providing affordable facilities for use by local businesses and groups. My Department is to the fore in the development of community empowerment in this part of the city; indeed, we have already provided funding of around £3million to such activity in the Colin area. The funding for the Units has been provided under Neighbourhood Renewal, which includes an objective to develop economic activity in the most disadvantaged areas. I am determined that through continued collective efforts we can, and will, make sure that Neighbourhood Renewal has a significant impact on the lives of many people.”

Speaking at the launch Denis Rooney, Chairman of the International Fund for Ireland, which contributed £225,000 to the scheme, said that the project was a wonderful example of how a community could strive to create a better future for its area.

He said: “The drive and vision shown by Cloona Oasis Centre are proof that this community wants to move forward and create a better, shared future for this area.

“These new facilities are about more than attracting new businesses, they are also about strengthening and underpinning community life for the years to come. Everyone involved in this project is to be congratulated for their vision for the area and I am delighted to be able to give our wholehearted support to the scheme.”

Chairman of Lisburn City Council’s Economic Development Committee, Councillor Allan Ewart added: “Lisburn City Council has been working with Cloona Oasis Centre for some years now to bring this new development forward and is pleased to continue to support Cloona Oasis Centre in its activities to bring much needed new business and job opportunities to the area.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. Cloona Oasis Centre operates from Cloona House in Poleglass. Originally set in three acres of grounds and mature gardens, the property is owned by the Parish of the Nativity in the Diocese of Down and Connor, having been purchased from the Ministry of Defence in 1980. A group of local initiatives approached the parish proposing the establishment of a local Trust which would lease Cloona House from the church.

2. The Economic Units are being funded:

DSD £357,985

International Fund for Ireland £225, 000

Lisburn City Council £115,015

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. For media enquiries contact DSD Information Office on 028 9082 9078. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.