09/12/2004

Christmas comes early with £2.5m lottery boost

State-of-the-art sports facilities and much needed play areas are being developed across Northern Ireland thanks to a massive lottery windfall being announced today.

The Big Lottery Fund is awarding grants of more than £2.5 million to ten projects across the province ensuring that hundreds of children and the wider community will benefit from new and improved sports facilities.

Schools and communities in Belfast, Derry, Dungannon, Cookstown, Maghera, Dromore, Coagh and Magherafelt are receiving new sports facilities, changing rooms and outdoor play areas thanks to the grants.

Dr Sam Burnside, a Northern Ireland Big Lottery Fund Board Member, said: “These awards offer further, excellent examples of how investing money in sport facilities available both to schools and local residents can transform the quality of life in communities.

“This programme is already having a major impact on tackling disadvantage and bringing positive changes to people of all ages across Northern Ireland. Today’s funding will bring greater access to physical activity to many more.”

The grants, totalling £2,571,688, have been awarded under the Big Lottery Fund’s New Opportunities for PE and Sport programme which aims to revamp existing facilities, build new outdoor sports facilities for pupils and encourage young people to stay involved in physical education.

(MB/SP)

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