The construction of a new shared space sports facility in South Belfast is due to be completed in Autumn of this year.
Work is currently underway on the Shared Space Newforge project, which will see the creation of a new sports hall and gym with multi-purpose rooms that will be a welcome addition to the facility.
Construction on the site started in April 2021 and continues to be on track and is due to open in Autumn 2022.
It has been funded through a €5.8m grant from the European Union’s PEACE IV Programme, which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body. Match-funding for this element was provided by the Department for Communities, Northern Ireland and the Department of Rural and Community Development, Ireland. An additional source of funding, totalling £1m, was provided through Sport NI’s Multi-Facility Fund.
The project will be managed by the Newforge Community Development Trust (NCDT) and seeks to help address the high level of social segregation resulting from the troubles.
Gina McIntyre, CEO of the Special EU Programmes Body, said: “Many young people within our community continue to live and socialise separately, lacking access to a shared space in which they can feel safe and confident to meet with, and learn from, people from other communities who they would not normally have had an opportunity to meet.
"The EU PEACE IV Programme funded Newforge Community Development Trust project will help to overcome this issue by creating a new 15-acre site with state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor sporting facilities. The project will help to develop new and positive relationships between many different community groups and individuals on a site that was previously inaccessible to the public.
"The progress of the project’s construction has been very impressive, considering the difficulties and challenges faced by the contractors and the project staff, as a result of the pandemic. I would like to congratulate everyone involved for their herculean efforts to date, and look forward to returning to see the facility when it is completed.”
Block work, to enclose the structure, is currently underway and work on the Sports Hall is scheduled to begin in March 2022.
Two Outreach Officers have been appointed to manage the Peacebuilding Programmes, with some activities getting underway on the current outdoor sports pitches at Newforge, including a number of "Youth Mash Ups" involving cross-community Youth Clubs across Belfast, and a virtual conference to celebrate International Day for People with Disabilities.
NCDT Chair, Peter Sheridan, said: “We are pleased to see the capital build of the project continuing to progress despite the difficulties associated with the COVID pandemic. We are looking forward to the next phase of the project which will see the development of the Indoor Arena and the building will then really start to take shape. The Newforge Shared Space project is designed to help build tolerance and understanding through the programmes running within it. We at the Trust are looking forward to the completion of the building and to welcoming all members of our community to the facility in the Autumn of this year.”
SPORT NI Chair, George Lucas, said: “This project is a strong example of partnership working and we are pleased to see this excellent facility take shape. Sport is a powerful way of uniting people and it is very encouraging to see some of the cross-community outreach work underway already.
"The Shared Space Newforge project will be a valuable asset in building relationships whilst allowing people to enjoy the benefits of sport.”
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