This week sees the completion of works to upgrade the facilities of Crumlin Utd FC at their Mill Road Ground.

Over the summer the club has been busy installing new draining and seeding the pitch ready for the start of the new season. In addition, a walk way has been constructed around the pitch which will allow local residents access to a walking trail. Finally a training room has been constructed in the club house for football and community use.

Funding for the works has been made possible with a grant of £50,000 through the Alpha funding Programme which recycles tax credits from the Mullaghglass Landfill Site in South Antrim. The funding is managed and administered by Groundwork NI.

Tom McPeake, Chairman of Crumlin Utd FC said, “We are extremely thankful to the Alpha Programme for providing the funding for this project. Without their help this project would not have been feasible. Crumlin Utd FC prides itself in being a community club and the new walk way, pitch and training room will be used by a wide range of groups in the village.”

Mel Waddell representing the Alpha Steering Group said, ” The Alpha Programme is pleased to have provided financial support to this project. The project has helped to enhance the surface of the playing pitch with secondary drainage enabling increased usage within the wider community, the development of a new walking track around the perimeter of the pitch and new facilities for the training and education room.

The club is to be congratulated on their efforts in achieving such a successful project and we hope that the local and wider community will benefit from the use of the new and upgraded facilities, opportunities and services offered by the Club.”

Established in 2008 by Alpha Resource Management Ltd, The Alpha Programme is managed by Groundwork NI and has already provided just nearly £3,000,000 in funding to over 90 biodiversity and community based projects within ten miles of the Mullaghglass landfill site outside Lisburn.

Information on the Programme, including an application form and guidance notes, can be downloaded from www.groundworkni.org.uk or contact Mel Waddell at Groundwork NI on (028) 9074 9494 or email melvynwaddell@groundworkni.co.uk.

Notes to Editor

• Groundwork NI is a leading not-for-profit organisation working in partnership with some of Northern Ireland’s most marginalised communities. Established in 1991, they have 19 years’ experience in planning, developing and delivering community-based environmental regeneration projects, under the banner of “Changing Places, Changing Lives and Changing Minds”.

For further information please click on www.groundworkni.org.uk

A full list of criteria is supplied with the application form that will be issued to all Interested parties. All applications will be assessed on a quarterly basis by a Steering Group consisting of representatives from Lisburn City Council, Belfast City Council, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Alpha Resource Management and Groundwork NI.

Applications will be considered on a quarterly basis with the next round of funding now open. All projects must be located within ten miles of the Mullaghglass landfill site at Castlerobin near Lisburn. This covers the greater Lisburn and Belfast areas, with Crumlin and areas towards Nutts Corner all eligible to apply. Depending on the nature of each individual project grants of between £10,000 and £50,000 will be available and allocated under two categories: Community-based projects and Biodiversity projects.