Rathlin Island to benefit from lottery funded playground

School children on Rathlin Island are set to get a long-awaited playground thanks to the Big Lottery Fund.

The largest of the National Lottery Good Cause distributors today announced a grant of £48,427 to St Mary’s Primary School to develop a multi-use games area for the four pupils on the island. Some of the lottery cash will also be used to create a sports pitch for the islanders to use.

Ten projects are benefiting from today’s announcement by the largest of the lottery distributors. The grants totalling £483,884 will mean that hundreds of youngsters and the wider community will benefit from new and improved sports facilities.

Schools and communities in Belfast, Armagh, Coleraine, Strabane, Newry and Portadown will also receive new sports facilities, changing rooms and outdoor play areas.

Announcing the grants Walter Rader, the Fund’s NI director said: “Every one of the grants awarded under this programme, whether large or small, has an important part to play in driving up participation in sports and activity, to help achieve fitter communities across Northern Ireland.

“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. Major new opportunities will also be created by this grant programme to benefit all communities.”

Today's grants have been awarded under the Big Lottery Fund’s New Opportunities for PE and Sport programme. This £33.75 million programme aims to revamp existing facilities, build new outdoor sports facilities for pupils and encourage young people to stay involved in physical education.

(MB)