Green schemes funding boost

Lottery cash is to boost environmental projects

Some of Northern Ireland's most disadvantaged communities are to receive a lottery windfall worth more than £2m.

The money from the New Opportunities Fund will go into projects to transform local streets and parks.

Grants have been awarded to 14 projects across the province in places including Carrickfergus, Downpatrick, Belfast, Tyrone, Londonderry, Fermanagh and Strabane.

The Transforming Your Space programme is helping schemes to promote green spaces in urban areas, plans to create wildlife habitats and to recruit people to promote use of local woodland.

Breidge Gadd, the fund's Northern Ireland board member, said the money would make a big difference to areas.

"This innovative programme will help some of the most disadvantaged areas of Northern Ireland improve the quality of their environment by transforming public and green spaces that are important to local people," she said.

"I am delighted that we have funded projects that support local and regional policies while working in partnership with a wide range of organisations including local communities.

"These projects will make a real contribution to the transformation of local space because they have had the active involvement of local communities."

Projects to benefit include:

• £95,646 for adults with learning disabilities in Carrickfergus to construct a building on the site of an urban farm run by its tenants.
• £115,901 for the Woodland Trust to recruit environmental champions to encourage local people to use local woodlands
• £200,000 to Larne Borough Council for a project aiming to boost cross community relations in the Antiville and Craigyhill areas by developing new walk and cycle paths, as well as play and sporting areas.
• £199,859 to the Sandy Row Community Forum to redevelop five sites within the Sandy Row area into community and environmental gardens and other green spaces
• £199,957 to the Ulster Wildlife Trust for community facilities at Belfast's Lower Falls
• £150,640 to the Greater Shantallow Area Partnership in Derry to develop the Pennyburn Inclusive Play Trail for able-bodied children and youngsters with severe learning difficulties.