BIG’S New NI Chair Announces £150m lottery investment
Northern Ireland communities are set to benefit from an investment of up to £150 million from the Big Lottery Fund between now and 2015, nearly a third more than predicted.
Conor Burns, Nicholas Watters and Caolan Mervyn chat with Frank Hewitt, Chair of the Big Lottery Fund. Photo by Brian Morrison
The Big Lottery Fund's new Northern Ireland Chair Frank Hewitt made the announcement at the launch of new state-of-the-art sports facilities developed with lottery cash at a west Belfast school today (Friday).
Speaking at the launch of De La Salle College's new Sport Complex Big Lottery Fund NI Chair Frank Hewitt said he was delighted to be making the major announcement of additional funding: "This is fantastic news for communities across Northern Ireland and I am delighted to be able to make this announcement as part of my first public engagement as NI Chair.
"This investment of up to £150 million will make a major difference to many people across Northern Ireland, particularly in the current economic climate. A rise in lottery ticket sales and revised financial forecasting has led to the increase in funding and we are now analysing the findings of our major public consultation into future programmes to identify the best ways to invest the funding."
Mr Hewitt, a former CEO of the NI Chamber of Commerce, took up the post of Big Lottery Fund NI Chair in December following Breidge's Gadd's retirement in November. He previously worked in a number of roles within the NI Civil Service and is currently Chair of the Northern Ireland Science Park.
De la Salle College secured £509,519 from the Big Lottery Fund's PE and Sport programme to extend a four-court sports hall to a six-court community sports hall at the new school.
Principal Paul Barry revealed that the lottery cash enabled the school to develop state-of-the-art sports facilities that are being used by pupils and the wider community seven days a week.
He added: "The impact of this grant from the Big Lottery Fund has been huge, not just for pupils but also for the wider community. The new facilities have encouraged more pupils to take part in physical activity and we have been delighted with the response we have received from local community groups.
"Before the new school was built facilities were very poor and the exterior fencing of bars and razor wire gave a very isolated and imposing image to the local community. There were also problems with vandalism. But these new facilities have helped transform the local area and make De La Salle College a real community hub for local people and groups.
"We have created an environment which is supporting young people and the wider community and have become a focal point for many local community groups who have not had the facilities available to them before."
Jim Clarke, Deputy CEO Council for Catholic Maintained Schools, said: "We are delighted to have worked so closely with De la Salle College and the Big Lottery Fund to realise the completion of this exciting new sports complex. This leisure complex undoubtedly represents a significant investment, not only in our school, but also in the local community who will benefit from the superior school facilities."
The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out half the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
