Council Committee Chairman reflects on Lisburn as European City of Sport

Mr Porter said it had been a “very proud year for the City of Lisburn in the area of sport and sports development”.

Speaking about the past year Mr Porter said: “This award was achieved because of the array of sports on offer, our partnerships, citizen participation and because of our sporting development endeavours. It has been a year when a breadth of sporting initiatives, events and competitions have been run or hosted here in Lisburn.”

He said: “We have reached out to the community and to people of all ages in encouraging our residents to try something new, because our aim has been to leave Lisburn with a proud sporting legacy. I am glad that so many people participated in some way over the year; be it in tennis, trying out something new in the gym, going on a Park Run, swimming or learning to swim, judo, football, or taking up a fitness class; the choices have been plentiful.”

“Lisburn is renowned for its large-scale sporting events and this year the annual Half Marathon event registration numbers once again increased for the Fun Run, 5k Run or for the half marathon. We held a number of Taster Sports days and involved the young, the not so young, persons from all backgrounds and all cultures in events during the year,” said the Chairman.

Mr Porter continued: “A special word of thanks should go to our Sports Clubs, because we have some of the very best here in Lisburn providing badminton, gymnastics, boxing and hockey to name but a few. The Clubs worked with us and provided fantastic support in our ECOS year. I would also like to thank our Sporting Ambassadors and would mention Dame Mary Peters DBE and Dr. Janet Gray MBE as well as Olympian, Michael McKillop and boxer, Kurt Walker, who gave of their time and hopefully provided some inspiration to our budding and talented local sports people.”

“Work has recently commenced on a new Sports Hall at Maghaberry Community Centre and a number of urban play-park refurbishments will shortly commence as a longer-term investment because it’s important for children to keep active and to build friendships through play.

“I am sad to see such a fantastic year come to a close, but hopefully our designated status will be a big starting block, as it were, for us to continue in our endeavours in 2014, in order to serve the community and keep Lisburn at the forefront of sporting achievement.

“To everyone who made the year such a success, a very big thank you”, he concluded.