£1.5 million investment in community hub

COLERAINE is in line for a new community hub.

The 1.5million investment will allow Coleraine Rural and Urban Network to operate a community development centre at Brook Street in Coleraine.

Minister for Social Development, Margaret Ritchie announced the investment , as part of the department's 'modernisization fund', for the Coleraine area last month but more particular details about the project have just come to light.

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Ann McNicholl, manager of CRUN told The Times: "This is a really exciting project for us.

"It'll see four community and voluntary groups coming together under the one roof - Age Concern, Citizens' Advice Bureau, Causeway Volunteer Centre and ourselves.

"This project will be a huge asset for the people of the area who will benefit from having these agencies accessible under one roof .

The community hub will be located at the old Cathcart's Insurance building on Brook Street."

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Ann went on to explain: " We are hoping to have ownership of the building by the end of the month.

"The architects are already working on plans, and we hope to be up and running by summer 2011."

The huge investment comes as CRUN celebrates its tenth anniversary. The community hub will ensure that the service's offered by Crun will continue more effectively.

CRUN delivers community development projects, alongside an educational and prevention projects and cross sectoral training courses in drug and alcohol related issues in the borough. They also deliver a small grant programme around suicide prevention and promoting positive mental health funded by the Public Health Agency and they have recently been successful in securing funding from IFI to deliver a two year community relations project which will commence in April 2010

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"Our community hub will have conference facilities for up to 80 people, and training rooms which will be available for outside hire. Retail units on the bottom floor of the centre will ensure sustainability of the centre," revealed Ann.

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