The £2.3 million Top of the Hill facility is the result of a £1.3m investment by Derry City and Strabane District Council, and £1m from the Department for Communities, and the Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Alderman Graham Warke, was joined by the Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey and community representatives, on site for the opening event.
The two storey building, located in the grounds of the former Immaculate Conception College, will provide state of the art facilities for people of all ages, featuring offices, child care and youth facilities, and a social hall.
Mayor Warke said he was delighted to see local communities at the top of the agenda in terms of Council priorities. "This is the second good news story for the Waterside area in recent months, following on from the official launch of the Waterside Shared Village project. Creating modern and welcoming shared community spaces to accommodate a wide range of services, activities and events remains a top priority within Council's capital programme, and addressing community need for state of the art facilities.
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"I want to thank the Minister for her continuing support of the North West where the legacy of underinvestment has seen community areas neglected for too long. I also want to acknowledge our community partners and all they have contributed to the project. Facilities such as this will support the vital work of community organisations such as Hillcrest Trust in delivering the essential services needed on the ground in some of our most deprived areas. I am delighted to see the completion of this significant project for the Waterside."
The building will comprise of a split level facility incorporating space for Hillcrest Trust, Jack & Jill Pre-school, a youth club, a 220m2 sports hall as well as Car parking on site. The proposed project is located just off the Trench Road adjacent to a new social housing development currently under construction.
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