Lottery funding for sport tops £50m

Culture, Arts and Leisure Minister Angela Smith confirmed today that funding from the National Lottery to sport projects in Northern Ireland has reached £50 million.

The Minister was speaking at Ballymena Rugby Club, where she was announcing a windfall of almost £3.5 million from the National Lottery, which will be shared among 39 sports projects across the Province.

Hailing the Lottery as a very valuable source of funding for many good causes, Angela Smith said: "Over the last eight years, thanks to the National Lottery, more than £50 million has been pumped into sport alone in Northern Ireland under the Sports Council’s Lottery Scheme. This money is additional to that provided by Government and it has helped sport to prosper in so many ways.

"These proceeds have contributed towards the provision of different types of new playing facilities, pavilions and equipment as well as supporting special events and assisting sportsmen and women to develop their skills to help them to compete at international level."

The Minister also pointed out that the Government recognised the many benefits which sport can bring to the whole community and said that she wanted to see as many people as possible getting involved. She explained: "Not only can sport help to build self-esteem and self-confidence but it also has a crucial role to play in promoting a healthier lifestyle.

"As well as improving all round fitness, active participation can help to tackle the worrying trend of obesity in our population which has been in the news recently. And that can only be good news for everyone," the Minister added.

The Minister was welcomed to the event by the Chairman of the Sports Council for Northern Ireland, Eric Saunders, the Business Development Director of Ballymena Rugby Club, Neil Patton, and by the captain of the Ulster rugby team, Andy Ward.

(MB)