Local sports benefit from Lottery funding

Local school and community sports groups are to benefit from more than £500,000 worth National Lottery grants thanks to the New Opportunities Fund.

The grants have been awarded under the Fund’s PE and Sport programme which aims to transform sporting facilities in schools and the wider community across Northern Ireland.

This £33.75 million programme is the single largest lottery investment in education to come to Northern Ireland and aims to revamp existing facilities, build new outdoor sports facilities for pupils and encourage young people to stay involved in physical education.

Lottery grants have been awarded to schools in Belfast, Lisburn, Dungannon, Armagh, Omagh and Ballymena to build changing room, multi-purpose sports pitches as well as vital sport facilities for pupils with severe learning difficulties.

Breidge Gadd, the New Opportunities Fund’s Board Member in Northern Ireland outlined the impact of the grant programme, she said: “The New Opportunities for PE and Sport programme will change the face of sporting provision in our schools and communities.

"This funding will help to create quality sporting facilities in which young people and the local community can take great pride and responsibility. Today’s awards will give more young people in Northern Ireland the chance to take part in sporting activities while developing their natural talents and abilities."

In spring 2004 the New Opportunities Fund and the Community Fund will merge to form a new single lottery distributor. This will establish the biggest National Lottery distributor delivering half of all good cause funding to communities across the UK.

(MB)