12 January 2006
DSD ANNOUNCES £600,000 SPORTS FACILITIES FOR SHANTALLOW
Sporting and community activities within Derry's Shantallow area are set to benefit from new £600,000 sports facilities at Steelstown Gaelic Athletic Club.
The Department for Social Development (DSD), through its North West Development Office, has contributed £200,000 towards the overall costs of the project with the remainder coming from the Sports Council of Northern Ireland and Steelstown GAC.
Social Development Minister David Hanson MP welcomed the project, which will be completed by May 2006. He said: "This is an excellent partnership approach and will help address the complex problems experienced by people living in housing estates. It also gives local people an opportunity to design solutions to local problems.
"The new facilities will serve a large urban district with a population of 30,000. They will complement the recently upgraded playing pitch and provide changing facilities for both male and female youth and adult teams. The facilities will also include a multi-purpose indoor training area.
"My Department is working hard to make local neighbourhoods more vibrant and attractive places. Earlier this year, we completed environmental improvements in the Steelstown area and upgraded the quality of the public space available to the community."
The DSD funding was provided through the Executive Programme Fund which was specifically designed to target various problems in the Outer North area of Derry city including weak community infrastructure, youth alienation, health problems and the physical environment.
Mr Hanson added that a total funding package of £1.6 million has been delivered by DSD through the Executive Programme Fund. This in turn has levered in a further £2.9 million of funding bringing a total of £4.5 million to the Outer North area of Derry.
Professor Eric Saunders, of the Sports Council for Northern Ireland, said: "We are delighted to continue to invest in the sporting infrastructure in the North West. This facility will provide an excellent opportunity to increase the levels of participation in sport and physical activity by the whole community."
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