Derry boosted by Creggan Pre-School and Training Trust opening

A £150,000 project providing new training, crèche and office facilities for the Creggan Pre-school and Training Trust (CPTT) in Londonderry has been officially opened today.

The development follows an audit of the needs of parents and children, commissioned by the Londonderry Development Office seven years ago under the EC Urban Community Initiative.

It provides a range of opportunities for parents and young people in the Creggan estate, which is widely recognised as one of the most disadvantaged areas in Northern Ireland.

As a result, the Creggan Pre-school and Training Trust will be able to expand the range of services that it provides to include providing pre-school places for 3-5 year olds, afternoon play facilities, community-based adult education programmes and support groups for young women, parents and toddlers.

Congratulating the committee and staff for their drive and determination, John Hunter, Permanent Secretary at the Department for Social Development, said: “This project demonstrates how local communities can work in partnership with statutory organisations and funding bodies to address the identified needs of local people.

“My department, in partnership with the European Union, has supported 17 other projects under the Urban Community Initiative in the Creggan, Bogside/Brandywell and Fountain areas of the City in recent years. These have made a major contribution to the overall regeneration of the area and have provided a catalyst other projects and programmes in these areas.”

Nuala Kerr, Deputy Chief Executive of the Special EU Programmes Body, which is the managing authority for Peace II funding, added: “This project is an example of what can be accomplished through partnership. By accessing monies from many different funders, including Urban and Peace I, Creggan Pre-school and Training Trust has shown that it is possible to work with a wide range of organisations for the good of the community.

“I know that this new building will allow CPTT to expand their programmes and reach an even greater number of people.”

In addition to the EC Urban Community Initiative and the Londonderry Regeneration Initiative, CPTT also received funding from a number of other organisations including Derry City Council, Western Health and Social Services Board, BBC Children in Need, Women Caring Trust, Childhood Fund and the Northern Ireland Voluntary Trust through the EU Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation.

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