Minister Mervyn Storey.
SOCIAL Development Minister Mervyn Storey MLA today visited the Tullyally Community Centre to view refurbishment works which will bring the Centre back into use.
The Centre, which had fallen into disrepair, is benefiting from a Department for Social Development (DSD) grant of £198,656.
During his visit Minister Storey said: “It is good to see that the refurbishment of the Tullyally Community Centre is now underway. The Centre will be a breath of fresh air for the whole community, providing new and revitalised premises for young and old.
“The Centre will give residents the opportunity to benefit from a range of services such as youth projects, educational opportunities and health and well-being projects.
“My Department has continually emphasised the importance of providing community facilities that are of a high quality and able to properly serve local people.
“My Department has been able to provide the funding necessary to bring this building out of a state of dereliction and into a condition that will allow it to be used for the benefit of the whole community. This project highlights my Department’s continued commitment to Neighbourhood Renewal in Londonderry.”
Julia Kee, community development worker for Tullyally said: “Tullyally Community Partnership (TCP) are delighted at the investment in the Tullyally community through DSD. TCP have been working hard to develop community programmes based on community need and all the hard work is paying off.
“Tullyally Community Partnership are delighted with the support they have received from DSD, and would like to thank the staff of the North West Development Office for their support this last year, Derry City Council must also be commended for taking the responsibility of this much needed community facility on board. TCP are excited at the opportunities this new facility in the area will bring.”
Mayor of Derry, Councillor Brenda Stevenson said: “I am delighted to see the refurbishment of the centre which plays such a vital role at the heart of this community. It’s a focal point for residents of all ages, and Council is acutely aware of the importance of such centres in bringing people together and regenerating the sense of community spirit and pride in an area.
“The work also reaffirms the Department for Social Development’s commitment to much needed neighbourhood renewal in communities across the city, and I am looking forward to seeing the long-term impact of the facility in the Tullally area.”
DSD has also worked collaboratively with Derry City Council in completing the £280,000 regeneration of the previously derelict Inveroe Gardens in the Creggan Estate. This newly landscaped park was recently opened to the public and has created an attractive and safe space for people to meet.
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