Tullyally community rallies

The report also claims a local football club has been denied access to its traditional premises since the shock announcement by the Tullyally and District Development Group Ltd. in January that it was ceasing to trade due to its debts of up to £100k.

Today the Sentinel reveals that members of the broad Tullyally community have since rallied together to address damaging vacuum in community provision in an area where 65 per cent of residents are dependent on benefits.

A newly established community group has already held a number of public meetings and produced a community audit in an attempt to plot a new way forward for Tullyally.

The group has also arranged an Annual General Meeting (AGM) for next Thursday, July 19, in Ashlea Primary School at 7.30pm.

According to the community survey people living in Tullyally were largely in agreement that the closure of the local community centre was having a detrimental effect on the local area.

For example, 86 people said the closure of the centre had had a big impact on their family; whilst 113 said it had had a big impact on the community in general.

The survey, which involved a doorstep questionnaire of 145 houses, also identified a clear increase in anti-social behaviour since the centre closed.

One resident stated: “The young ones are smoking dope; they have broken into the community centre and are lighting fires, probably only to keep warm, but at least the centre needs to be secure. The weans have nothing to do and this is just becoming a joke.”

The audit also shows that anti-social behaviour is not just the result of the closure of the community centre but that sectarian tensions at the interface with the neighbouring Nationalist Currynierin estate are equally a factor.

A younger resident told the survey that they had been beaten up in a sectarian assault whilst waiting for a bus into town.

“Sure, got a kicking for just standing at the bus stop, waiting on the Currynierin Bus, never mind getting on it,” they told the survey.

The authors of the report refer to “the trauma of the collapse of the Tullyally and District Development Group, the loss of their community centre and the subsequent deterioration of lines of communication, of established partnerships and subsequent negative impact this creates on local social conditions.”

The report suggests there has been a lack of communication between the community and statutory stakeholders and that people living in Tullyally have no idea when the community centre may be reopened and how the situation is being rectified.

“The community understand that stakeholders may be working on their behalf, but as the main stakeholders and benefactors of the community resource, it is important to keep the lines of communication open,” the audit warns.

“In the vacuum of this breakdown the estate has experienced an exponential growth in incidence of anti-social behaviour as well as a pronounced drug problem.

“The local football team have been denied their premises whilst youth provision is restricted only to some outreach work currently being carried out by cities Youth Action office. The Western Education and Library Board (WELB) have now also started to offer services in the area,” it continues.

Despite the significant blow dealt to the local community by the centre’s closure the report notes that a new community group has re-emerged from the ashes. This has resulted in the current audit and the AGM scheduled for next Thursday.

The main priorities identified by the survey are the provision of services for the whole community with a priority on youth provision and provision for the elderly coming second.

Other factors mentioned were an increase of anti-social behaviour, interface tensions, the need for traffic calming and the need for better access to public transport.

Residents also mentioned the negative effect of the centre closing primarily on the community and secondly on their family.

One young mother stated: “My daughter has to go elsewhere to get her dancing classes. It’s a real pain and an extra cost, taxis aren’t getting a cheaper.”

The audit notes, however, that some respondents had no opinion because they seemed to have become disengaged in activity.

“However there was a significant number of respondents that would like to see all activities run in the community, this included, in order Community activities, youth activities, sporting activities and activities for the elderly,” the audit states.