Former Army Barracks to Become Sport Centre as Six Cross-community Facilities Receive £65m Funding
Six community facilities and public spaces in Northern Ireland are set to receive £65m (€77m) through the cross-border PEACEPLUS programme.
Projects funded include a shared space at a North Belfast interface, an indoor ‘Air Dome’ arena in Derry, and the redevelopment of a former barracks into a sport and wellbeing centre in County Down. Managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), PEACEPLUS is jointly funded by the EU, UK and Irish governments, and the NI Executive.
“They are crucial for peacebuilding and reconciliation,” noted SEUPB Chief executive Gina McIntyre, “Their impact transcends the bricks and mortar required for their construction, penetrating much further into the local community through the changes in both attitudes and behaviours, resulting in a reduction in segregation and contributing to sustained peace and prosperity.”
Minister for the Department of Communities of Northern Ireland, Gordon Lyons, welcomed the funding, amplifying his ambition “to deliver policies and programmes that will have real and meaningful impact, that are sustainable and that will provide tangible, lasting benefits.”
Minster Lyons’ counterpart in Dáil Éireann, Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, praised the projects’ capacity to drive “real change,” and its significant impact on “economic and tourism opportunities in the region”.