Principals get sneak peek of Northern Regional College’s new Coleraine campus

Local post primary school principals had the opportunity to see Northern Regional College’s new campus in Coleraine recently.
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Principals and key staff members from several local post-primary schools had the opportunity to learn about the campus plans, journey and progress from Project Director, Kieran Mooney, and Heron Bros, the building contractor.

The campus development is currently under construction, but has now reached an exciting, advanced phase having passed the mid-point of the construction programme. The new campus will consolidate all teaching at the College’s former Coleraine and Ballymoney campuses onto one expanded site.

Construction is progressing well and scheduled for completion for the start of the new 2024/25 academic year.

The group starts off their tour of the new Coleraine Campus.The group starts off their tour of the new Coleraine Campus.
The group starts off their tour of the new Coleraine Campus.

Northern Regional College Principal and Chief Executive, Mel Higgins, said that it was exciting to see how much the space has developed.

“The campus is now at a phase that allows you to visualise how it will look once it is complete. It’s a perfect space for collaborative learning and the new facilities will mean we can provide our students with a world class learning environment, as well as a hub for the local community.

“We will be offering a wide range of shared spaces, including a restaurant and other facilities which will be made available to local groups and community organisations for education, training, arts and recreation purposes. Today’s engagement with our local post primary schools demonstrates how we can contribute collaboratively for all of the young learners in the area to help deliver their full potential.”

Fully funded by the Department for the Economy, the new £40 million Coleraine campus forms part of a wider £85 million capital investment programme to provide two new campuses for the College, one in Coleraine, the other in Ballymena.

Gerry Lynch Principal of Dominican College, Mairead Convery, Community Based Learning and Schools Partnership Manager of Northern Regional College, Christine Brown Vice Principal for Teaching & Learning Northern Regional College and Frances Pepin, Vice Principal of Loreto College.Gerry Lynch Principal of Dominican College, Mairead Convery, Community Based Learning and Schools Partnership Manager of Northern Regional College, Christine Brown Vice Principal for Teaching & Learning Northern Regional College and Frances Pepin, Vice Principal of Loreto College.
Gerry Lynch Principal of Dominican College, Mairead Convery, Community Based Learning and Schools Partnership Manager of Northern Regional College, Christine Brown Vice Principal for Teaching & Learning Northern Regional College and Frances Pepin, Vice Principal of Loreto College.

Both will be key drivers in the delivery of the Department’s 10X, Skills Strategy, with Heron Bros as the main contractor for the two projects.

Gerry Lynch, Principal of Dominican College Portstewart, was one of the local schools to view the new campus: “I am very impressed with this exciting new development at Northern Regional College Coleraine, especially the planning involved and the range of subject and vocational areas that will be on offer at the new campus. I look forward to following the progress on this development.”

Over 100 new construction jobs have been created and a further 300 sustained during the building phase of the Coleraine campus. Along with these full-time jobs, over 1,000 weeks of employment and training is being provided through traineeships, apprenticeships and Higher Level Apprenticeships (HLAs) across a range of construction-related trades.

While the new Coleraine campus is under construction, Northern Regional College continues to offer a comprehensive range of courses and business support services from its temporary location at Beresford Avenue in the town.

Annie Crozier, Heron Bros, Gerry Lynch Principal of Dominican College, Frances Pepin, Vice Principal of Loreto College, Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College, Christine Brown Vice Principal for Teaching & Learning of Northern Regional College, Mairead Convery, Community Based Learning and Schools Partnership Manager of Northern Regional College, Kieran Mooney, Project Director, Jack Neill, Northern Regional College and Heron Bros apprentice.Annie Crozier, Heron Bros, Gerry Lynch Principal of Dominican College, Frances Pepin, Vice Principal of Loreto College, Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College, Christine Brown Vice Principal for Teaching & Learning of Northern Regional College, Mairead Convery, Community Based Learning and Schools Partnership Manager of Northern Regional College, Kieran Mooney, Project Director, Jack Neill, Northern Regional College and Heron Bros apprentice.
Annie Crozier, Heron Bros, Gerry Lynch Principal of Dominican College, Frances Pepin, Vice Principal of Loreto College, Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College, Christine Brown Vice Principal for Teaching & Learning of Northern Regional College, Mairead Convery, Community Based Learning and Schools Partnership Manager of Northern Regional College, Kieran Mooney, Project Director, Jack Neill, Northern Regional College and Heron Bros apprentice.

For more information, visit www.nrc.ac.uk

The demolition of the former Coleraine Union Street campus in 2021 heralded the start of an exciting new chapter for Northern Regional College. The College buildings at Union Street and the adjacent St Patrick’s Church Hall were levelled to make way for the £40m campus development.

The original red-brick campus building which opened in 1930 was extended during the 1950s and, in the late 1960s, the seven-story tower block was added.