New Grove centre to get its own 'Northern lights'

Plans for the new Grove Well-Being Centre on Belfast’s York Road received a £1.1 million boost today from Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie.

Announcing the investment of £1.1 million, with Belfast’s Lord Mayor Pat McCarthy, Minister Ritchie explained that the funding from DSD will be used by the Council to finish the outside of the Centre to an exceptionally high standard, ensuring it is safe, attractive, welcoming and easily maintained. Particular features include:

• High quality landscaping of the site;
• A discreet steel mesh which will protect the front of the building; and
• Innovative lighting which will be used to illuminate the mesh and the building frontage. This decorative lighting subtly adjusts in colour, creating a constantly changing effect to highlight the building’s architectural features throughout the day and night.

The Centre is currently being built on the York Road, and is a project involving the Belfast City Council, Belfast Health & Social Care Trust and Belfast Education & Library Board.

Speaking at an event in Belfast City Hall, Minister Ritchie commented: “I believe that this funding to enhance the physical appearance of the Centre will make a significant contribution to the impact of this landmark project within inner city north Belfast. It will be a facility in which local communities can take pride. As I see it, my Department’s contribution represents the ‘icing on the cake’ for this fine project. The Grove Well-Being Centre is located on a key arterial route, close to Belfast city centre. It is also within an area that has been identified by my Department as suffering from deprivation.

“The funding is being provided through the Neighbourhood Renewal strategy. This strategy is about working together to tackle disadvantage, which I fully support. I want to see a reduction in the gap between quality of life in these areas and the rest of Northern Ireland. This can only be done if all parts of Government work together, with local communities, to address the issues which deny local people the benefits and chances available elsewhere. I know that good progress has been made, and I am determined to ensure that Neighbourhood Renewal makes a much more significant impact to help local people release their potential.

“This wonderful new Centre points the way. When complete, it will present a key opportunity to regenerate this part of inner north Belfast, fitting neatly with ongoing developments currently being led by my Department in the area; the Cathedral Quarter of Belfast city centre, and plans in respect of Girdwood Barracks and Crumlin Road Gaol. All of these projects complement each other and collectively are of strategic importance in tackling disadvantage in north Belfast.”

The Grove Well-being Centre will be the first of kind in Northern Ireland, providing a one stop shop for leisure, lifestyle and health services for local residents and beyond. Construction of the new centre is already well underway and is scheduled to open in early 2008.

Belfast Lord Mayor, Pat McCarthy, explained: “The Grove Wellbeing Centre’s vision is clear-cut and commendable - it aims to improve the local community’s wellbeing and enjoyment by delivering the highest quality service in health and social care, leisure, lifestyle and lifelong learning.

“At a cost of £18 million Grove Wellbeing Centre is an imaginative expression of ‘joined up government’ in action - in terms of both public service development and physical new build. Crucially, it will allow the three agencies not only to deliver their individual services to the community but also to bring to the local community new ‘added value services’.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. Media enquiries to: DSD Information Office on 028 9082 9078/07818 035 258.

2. Images of how the exterior of the building will look are available on the DSD website – http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/new-grove-pics.htm

3. DSD’s Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy ‘People and Place’ aims 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.

4. In 2003 Belfast City Council, Belfast Health & Social Services Trust and the Belfast Education & Library Board formed a partnership to jointly develop the new Grove Healthy Living Centre, with an estimated cost of £18 million.

5. Leisure facilities will include: One swimming pool and one toddler pool; Fitness suite; Multi- purpose activity area and soft play area; Ten-pin bowling; cafe.

6. Health Facilities will include: 11 GP’s serving 14,000 patients; Physiotherapy; Occupational Therapy; Dentistry; Podiatry; Pharmacy; Elderly Day Centre.

7. Lifestyle Facilities will include: Full range of library services; Information services; Computer suite.