Funding celebrations for the Boys' Brigade

L-R: Amanda and Rachel Petticrew BB Anchor Boy Leaders from 1st Loughaghery with Cllr Jonathan Craig, Chair of LCCC Peace IV Partnership, David Penney, BBs Training and Programme Officer, Anne Houston, Leader in 1st Culnady who are taking part in Project Incredible and in training Anchor Boy Leaders Andrew Beattie from 3rd Carrickfergus BB and Jordan McCrory 1st Fintona BB.

The majority of the money, £40,000, was carefully invested equipping the newly renovated Newport Training, Conference and Residential Centre with everything it needed to operate from the beds and bed linen, to outdoor furniture and football nets.

The remainder of the funding was allocated to ‘Project Incredible’, a joint cross community project with Scouting Ireland.

‘Project Incredible’ is bringing together 24 young people from Boys’ Brigade Companies in Newmills and Culnady with Co Antrim Scouting Ireland Groups from the Lisburn area; 9th Antrim based at St Patrick’s Academy, Ballinderry Road and 23rd Antrim from Derriaghy. ‘Project Incredible’ will culminate in a residential weekend at Newport running from November 9-11 with a unique focus on remembrance and what that means to the individuals and groups taking part.

Cllr Jonathan Craig, Chairperson of the Lisburn and Castlereagh Peace IV Partnership, visited the centre recently. “As a former BB member of 1st Hillsborough BB Company, I am absolutely delighted to see this new training, conference and residential facility opening in Culcavy, and I look forward to seeing it being fully utilised,” he said.

Jonathan Gracey, Director for The Boys’ Brigade NI District added: “The Boys’ Brigade Northern Ireland District is committed to playing its part in a shared future for NI and our new facilities has enabled us to enhance this area of our programme.”