Committee aims to improve village life

WARINGSTOWN Community Association continued to go from strength to strength after its formation earlier this year.

Ulster Unionist Craigavon Councillor Jo-Anne Dobson has warmly welcomed the establishment of the Waringstown Community Development Association (WCDA).

This group came about in November 2009 when Craigavon Council contacted two Waringstown villagers, Melvyn Hamilton and Dick Mullan, with a view to setting up a committee which could access funding allocated to transform the rural communities of Armagh, Craigavon and Newry and Mourne.

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WCDA held its first meeting in early 2010 - it is chaired by Dick Mullan with Andy Soye as Vice Chairperson, Jillian Stewart as Secretary and a committee comprising the wide range of skills required for a group that will undoubtedly influence the future social impact of a growth village.

Both Melvyn and Dick have been active in Waringstown Neighbourhood Watch Group and hence were well acquainted with the geography, people and issues facing the village.

They were well placed to canvass for committee members and sent out over 1,000 letters. The 'MAIL' also carried an appeal for new committee members.

As part of WCDA’s remit, it will make submissions for funding to The Department for Agriculture and Regional Development which has engaged the Southern Organisation for Action in Rural Areas (SOAR) as its delivery agent for the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme which has been allocated 16.7m to transform the rural communities within the Southern cluster.

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In the case of Waringstown, the WCDA will be taking forward an application under Measure 3.4 of the Rural Development Programme which focuses upon improving the living conditions and welfare of the village and to increase the attractiveness of the area through the provision of greater volume and higher quality basic services for the population.

The maximum grant aid available for community organisations is 250,000, and examples of projects that can be supported are Outreach services such as health and well being, sharing of equipment and services, public facilities such as IT training, child care facilities, community shop and shared or multiple uses of community buildings. Dick and the team have already engaged the support of local Waringstown Councillor Jo-Anne Dobson as well as Upper Bann MLA’s Sam Gardiner and Stephen Moutray and Waringstown Cricket Club.The Committee has engaged in a number of training initiatives sponsored by Craigavon, Banbridge and Newry and Mourne District Councils.

They have already been successful in obtaining initial Council funding which will be used for start up costs. A further submission has been made for the purpose of carrying out a Needs Analysis Survey which will give all residents of Waringstown the opportunity to give their opinion regarding the social needs of their village. The results of this survey will form the basis of the groups submission for major funding from SOAR later this year.

Councillor Dobson, a Waringstown resident, praised the group saying, “The vital work of the WCDA is now more relevant than ever, Waringstown must seek its fair share all of available funding. Dick and his team could make a real difference to Waringstown and I encourage all residents to engage with the committee’s survey."