A Boost for ‘cash Sports academy

The organisation’s £500,000 capital project will now have the opportunity to secure £250,000 of match funding, in the council’s bid to invest £2 million in local communities over the next number of years.

Ballymacash Sports Academy plan to use the funding to replace its existing portable cabins with a community facility, which will house a number of sporting and community activities.

The upgraded facility will include four new changing rooms, a community hub with multi-use community and training room, a cyro-spa facility, a gym, and a social enterprise café.

The organisation hopes to start construction in September 2021 with a view to completion in April 2022.

Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council invited pilot applications from community, sporting and local interest groups last month and received many ambitious proposals for new community facilities in the Lisburn Castlereagh area.

Alderman Paul Porter, former Chairman of the council’s Corporate Services Committee, said: “I’m delighted that Ballymacash Sports Academy has been successful in its application to the pilot and I congratulate it wholeheartedly.

“This project will help tackle social exclusion by providing much needed facilities to the local area. As a council, we want to connect with and empower local groups to meet the needs of their communities.

“We understand that the people living and working in these areas are the ones who can best determine what local people want and need.

“This fund is offering our communities that chance and I would encourage local organisations and groups, even if they have been unsuccessful this time round, to try again and take advantage of this opportunity.”

Councillor Jenny Palmer, Outgoing Deputy Mayor of Lisburn, said: “This is exciting news for the area.

“Having followed the proposals of Ballymacash Sports Academy since they leased the land from the council, it is great to see major works coming together for this community.”