News Release Page Title

18 January 2007

DSD FUNDING SECURES COMMUNITY POSTS FOR LONDONDERRY

The Bogside and Brandywell Initiative in Londonderry have received a cash boost of £98,000 from the Department for Social Development’s North West Development Office.

The Neighbourhood Renewal funding will support six key posts and allow the organisation to sustain existing programmes and develop the range of services it offers to residents in the Triax area of the city.

Minister for Social Development David Hanson MP welcomed the funding saying: “The Bogside and Brandywell Initiative is a well-established organisation with a proven track record. The funding from my department will be used to form a new Neighbourhood Management Team which will facilitate the development and strengthening of community infrastructure, capacity building and support the training and development of local residents.

“The funding will enable the organisation to expand on the already invaluable service they provide to the local community by establishing a volunteer database and engaging with residents through a survey to find out the issues affecting them.”

Donacha MacNiallais, Chairperson of the Bogside and Brandywell Initiative said: “We are delighted to receive this funding as it will assist the BBI in the rolling out of the Neighbourhood Renewal strategy and help us to begin to create new and innovative partnership between residents and service providers in a way which is designed to deliver enhanced services and better co-ordination and most importantly, improve the quality of life for residents.”

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.

  2. 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.

  3. The Bogside and Brandywell Initiative are based at the Gasyard Centre, 128 Lecky Road, Derry and can be contacted on 028 71261916. They are one of three umbrella organisations that form the Triax Neighbourhood Partnership which consists of the Bogside, Brandywell, Creggan and Fountain areas of Derry.

  4. Media queries only to DSD Information Office on 028 9082 9468.

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