Community Centre's new £161,300 refurb done and dusted in Dunclug

That was the view expressed by Social Development Minister Alex Attwood when he visited Ballymena last Thursday morning to officially open the revamped centre.

The refurbishment involved work to the interior of the community centre in the Dunclug Shopping Precinct to provide a modern, safe and user friendly community facility with accessibility for everyone.

The Residents’ Association now aims to encourage more local people to use the centre and combat social exclusion by attracting new health and fitness activities and disability awareness/activity programmes.

Alex Attwood said: “The refurbishment of the Dunclug community centre is great news for people in the local area. It will help create a stable community by providing a facility for different groups living in the estate to come together.

“Youth issues and problems about how the local community can work together can be addressed in a safe environment with accessibility for all”.

He added: “I welcome the progress that has been made to date in Dunclug and I continue to be fully committed to the implementation of the Dunclug Action Plan.

“I want to target resources in a way which delivers maximum impact and I want to work with communities to achieve that. This project represents another positive step forward for the future of the Dunclug area.”

The Department for Social Development contributed 138,000 towards the Community Centre Refurbishment project with the remaining 23,300 provided by Ballymena Borough Council.

Ballymena Mayor, Cllr Maurice Mills stated: “We in Ballymena firmly believe in Partnership to deliver our citizens’ needs and I am delighted we received such significant funding from the Department to deliver this much needed high quality refurbishment, which will benefit the local community.

“I am particularly delighted to know that local people and officials from DSD and Council, worked hand in hand to achieve this fine result, and I believe this is the way we need to do things in the future.”

Town Clerk & Chief Executive, Mrs Anne Donaghy said: “This project was one of a number of projects within the Dunclug Action Plan suggested by Ballymena Borough Council and the engagement process provides a model to build on in taking Community planning forward.

“Joined up planning and provision of services at the local level and involving all statutory partners, for me, is the future of a better quality of life for all.”

Chairman of Duncug Residents Association Kevin McCrudden said that while there has been significant change in the Dunclug area challenges still remain.

“If we continue to work in partnership with all the statutory agencies and funding continues to build on the already excellent work then quality of life will be enhanced for all residents,” he said.

Endorsing his remarks, Colum Best Dunclug Partnership project manager, eluded to the fact that such has been the transformation of change that N.I.H.E now have a waiting list for persons wishing to be housed in Dunclug.

“There is a feel good factor returning to the community and whilst Ballymena Borough Council, N.I.H.E, P.S.N.I , D.S.D and N.E.E.L.B Youth Services have all contributed,one cannot overlook the work of the Dunclug Partnership and the voluntary/community groups including the Dunclug Residents’ Association, Dunclug Youth Forum,Dunclug Senior Citizens Group and the Dunclug P.A.K.T group,” he said.

Colum also stated that it was imperative that constructive projects are implemented to ensure that the Dunclug dedicted community fund, of which approximately 15,000 remains,is exhausted by March 2011.

During his visit to the area, Alex Attwood also took the opportunity to visit the recently completed Dunclug Play Park, which DSD also provided funding of 112,128, with the remaining 75,050 provided by Ballymena Borough Council.

The Minister paid tribute to the Council and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for their contributions to funding and agreeing to maintain the play park.