Hanson Announces £186,000 Extension For Newry Community Centre

20 November 2006
HANSON ANNOUNCES £186,000 EXTENSION FOR NEWRY COMMUNITY CENTRE
Social Development Minister David Hanson MP announced today that work has begun on a £186,600 extension to Newry's Meadow & Armagh Road Community Centre.
Mr Hanson said: "In September this year I visited Newry to launch the "Greater Newry Vision'. I said then that the Department for Social Development would provide Neighbourhood Renewal funding to, amongst other things, improve community centre facilities in Newry.
"Today I am delivering on that commitment. I am delighted to announce that Newry & Mourne District Council has received a grant of £186,600 to build an extension to Meadow & Armagh Road Community Centre. Work has now started on site."
The centre serves residents of the Meadow and Armagh Road estates. The proposed 138m² extension will provide much needed office accommodation and meeting amenities for the community association, local residents and other groups, and a youth facility / IT suite specifically for the use of young people from the area.
The project is due to be completed in March 2007.
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. 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.
2. The Meadow and Armagh Community Association was established in 1978 to provide social and recreational services for the people in the Meadow and Armagh Road area of Newry. The organisation provides a wide range of programmes and services from within the Meadow & Armagh Road Community Centre.
3. Newry and Mourne District Council owns the centre but a significant amount of the day-to-day running costs are met by the community association.
4. Media enquiries to DSD Information Office on 028 9082 9078.

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