A south Armagh community facility is one of 10 “local treasures” which will be “saved and restored” thanks to a major UK Government windfall.
The Silverbridge Harps Community Resource Centre will – along with three other similar facilities – enjoy a share of £1.7 million.
The money is being allocated by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
It says that, in terms of the Silverbridge facility, the funding will be used to widen their services by extending the community centre to include a gym and café.
Around £2 million more will be shared between the remaining six projects.
Among these, some £539,587 will go to the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team in Newry, Mourne and Down.
The centre will use the funding to develop a new Mountain Rescue Base and Educational Centre which provides volunteers with changing rooms, training areas, and spaces for community outreach and education.
According to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the UK Government funding will protect local amenities that keep communities thriving, helping “fix the foundations of our communities as part of the Plan for Change”.
The money will “boost opportunities and help grow local economies, supporting the government’s drive for national renewal”, something which “will help kickstart economic growth and rebuild Britain in a decade of renewal”.
The highest single award in Northern Ireland – £800,000 – will also go to the SOLAS Special Needs Charity in Belfast. With the funding, a new three-storey building will be built in order to expand the charity’s capacity and accommodate services such as after school clubs and youth programmes.
Minister for Local Growth Alex Norris said: “These are all multi-functional spaces that do so much for local people and most of us will have fond memories in treasured places like these.
“We’ve prioritised these grants to help preserve and upgrade what these vital places offer to their communities – whether that’s improving access to sport, education, tackling loneliness or boosting family services for parents and children.
“This is just the start of our work to support communities and give them greater control of their assets and we’ll be setting out our full strategy next year.”
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, added: “Local spaces and places are the backbone of communities across Northern Ireland.
“The Government has funded all ten applications from Northern Ireland, worth £3.7m, so ensuring that each community gets the support it deserves to help restore and protect places they value.”
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