Men’s Shed and rugby club receive Lottery support

Greenisland Men’s Shed received a grant of £9,891.

They will be using the money to buy new premises and tools for the shed, allowing them to operate seven days a week and have somewhere to store their equipment.

The group are also buying wood working machinery and tools to expand the activities they provide. The shed keeps the men socially connected and offers opportunities to address issues they may be facing.

PJ O’Halloran a member of Greenisland Men’s Shed said: “After six months from the formation of our group it became apparent that if the shed was to progress, we would need to secure our own ‘Shed’.

“There were no suitable premises available in Greenisland and realistically we were restricted by our budget on what we could afford for rent.

“The involvement from ‘Awards for All’ has resolved our setbacks. It has enabled us to secure our own premises. This may not mean much to the outsider but to Greenisland Men’s Shed it is the encouragement and motivation to plan for the future and to work on all the projects that we have put on ‘the back burner.’

“We are confident that having our own premises will result in an increased attendance and the ‘Shed’ will become an important element of the community.”

Members of Ballyclare Rugby Football Club will be using a £9,900 grant to refurbish Cloughan Hall in Ballyclare.

The money is being used to replace the existing floor in the hall, as well as adding a partition wall to create additional space and installing an indoor speaker and mic system, making it more accessible to community groups who use it to hold dance and exercise classes.