The Department of Communities has approved funding of £700,000 to develop a new community centre in Galliagh, L'Derry,

In total the project will cost £1.5m and the building will offer state of the art new facilities and a shared space for the local community. Council and other funders have pledged the remaining balance of funds for the facility.

It is the second project to benefit from departmental funding, with £1m pledged to deliver a new £2.4m community centre in the neighbouring Shantallow area. £1.4m has already been channelled into the project by Council and other funders.

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Mayor Michaela Boyle said the centres would offer vital resources in one of the city's largest neighbourhood renewal areas.

She said: "Council is committed to providing inclusive and welcoming shared spaces that are fit for purpose and can meet the needs of a wide range of user groups in these community areas. The new centres will become vibrant and busy community hubs, facilitating new activities and the delivery of vital services within Shantallow and Galliagh.

"There are great ambitions for the transformation of the city’s community areas set out in the Local Community Plans which are currently being finalised, and we need the infrastructure and facilities in place to realise these aspirations. I really look forward to seeing the plans move now to the next stage as quickly as possible."

The Community Centre in Galliagh will be based at Fairview Road and will provide single story accommodation over 860 sq ft.

The new facility is just one of a number of community projects that form part of Council’s wider capital investment programme aimed at transforming local communities and being delivered as part of the Strategic Growth Plan for Derry and Strabane.

(CD/MH)