£30,000 for children’s basketball scheme in Ballymena

Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland has awarded over £30,000 funding towards a Basketball Programme for over 600 school children in Ballymena.
By The Newsroom
Published 27th Nov 2013, 13:34 BST
Seven Towers roundabout.Seven Towers roundabout.
Seven Towers roundabout.

The programme aims to establish greater levels of interaction, dialogue and education between young people from different backgrounds in the Ballymena area.

Primary and Secondary schools will be “twinned” with each other and engage in an 18 month structured programme involving basketball coaching, playing basketball and workshops designed to address community relations and personal well being. In addition it is proposed to run a two week Summer Intervention Programme in 2014 for 6-14 year olds which will involve 2 weeks of Multi-Sport coaching.

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Mr. McCausland said: “This project will provide participants with the opportunity to partake in a programme which aims to establish greater levels of interaction and improve community relations and health and well being amongst young people from areas of disadvantage. Getting young people involved in sports is a great way to combat incidents of anti social behaviour as it is well recognised that sport develops and enriches communities.”

The programme will be run in a partnership between Ballymena Borough Council and the Police and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP).

The Mayor of Ballymena, Cllr Audrey Wales MBE, said: “Ballymena Borough Council is delighted to be involved in this project which uses sport to build positive relations between the young people of Ballymena.”

Ballymena PCSP Chair, Councillor James Currie said: “One of the best ways of reducing Anti-social behaviour is to get young people off the street and engaged in positive diversionary activity. Through engaging young people in schools and encouraging them to pursue basketball on a Saturday, this programme will not only contribute to that aim but will also help raise awareness of the links between anti-social behaviour and drug and alcohol abuse.”