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The Offical Opening Of Ballyfatten Park
Ballyfatten Park Re-Development Officially Completed
21st February 2008
A £100,000.00 project led by Strabane District Council and Sion Swifts to re-develop specialist sports provisions on the Ballyfatten Park site was officially completed. A grant of £72,263.00 was provided through Strabane Local Strategy Partnerships Peace and Reconciliation fund, which aims to promote programmes to support peace and reconciliation within the community. The proposed project aims to make a positive, visible and helpful contribution to the peace process by providing a neutral venue where people of all traditions can live and play together and take part in educational, leisure and cultural activities.
The funding contributed towards developing a facility that can host a wide variety of sports and recreation activities in the same area. Designed for high intensity use, Multi-Use Games Area (MUGAs) features a polymeric surface that is ideal for a host of sports including football, tennis, hockey and basketball and netball. As such, they're an increasingly popular solution for schools, parks, leisure facilities and community centres.
Commenting at the opening of the facility, Chairman of Strabane District Council, Gerard Foley said of the project “The MUGA project will provide a substantial facility within the Sion Mills area that has transform a rundown site into a vibrant social amenity for all the community. The facility will bring people of both traditions together from the local and wider area, particularly from the different schools to develop a sense of “ownership” and to learn through their mutual interest in sport and physical activity.”
Mr Jeff Barr, Chairman of Strabane Local Strategy Partnership added; "The Local Strategy Partnership believes that sport is an activity with the potential to unite people and thus was delighted to fund this Project particularly with its focus on targeting young people."
Danny Gallagher Chairman of Sion Swifts Football Club added“The project will enhance Sion Swifts standing as an official Irish Football Association Mini-Soccer Centre and will assist the club to further develop its grassroots football strategy in conjunction with Strabane District Council and Irish Football Associations Development Officers”
