REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE OPENING OF THE SHAFTESBURY COMMUNITY AND RECREATION CENTRE
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE OPENING OF THE SHAFTESBURY COMMUNITY AND RECREATION CENTRE, BALFOUR AVENUE, BELFAST
Lord Mayor, Ministers and distinguished guests, I am delighted to be with you all here today as we celebrate the official opening of this magnificent new addition to the Shaftesbury Community and Recreation Centre. I would like to thank the Lower Ormeau Residents Action Group and your Chairman John Gormley for his kind invitation to be with you on this very special occasion.
In this room today, we have people who are passionate about community, passionate enough to invest a big part of their lives in building up the social, physical and economic wellbeing of this community. It’s a community with a story of disadvantage and division and of living on the frontline of the Troubles. At times optimism and positivity were hard to find but then the community builders and peacemakers stepped up to the plate and decided that the future was going to be very different, that a new culture of respectful good neighbourliness was going to be grown and it was going to be underpinned by opportunity. Thanks to those men and women, their ambition and determination this impressive, state-of-the-art sports facility is at the service of all the people of the area.
It offers all ages the chance to engage in health-based programmes to improve their physical and mental wellbeing, to be sociable, make new friends, expand their activities and enrich their lives while enriching the life of the community. It is a place where young people have a very special place and where with initiatives like the Midnight Soccer Leagues on Friday and Saturday nights they can be channelled away from all the nasty predatory things that can make a mess of young lives from anti-social behaviour to alcohol and drug abuse. Instead here they can build up their lives, have good safe fun, develop and showcase their skills, grow safely to adulthood so that in and through their lives, community life in the Lower Ormeau becomes strong and solid. Here they will learn to become problem solvers, not problems, to be sources of strength in their communities, not sources of weakness.
This wonderful facility with all the potential it now offers is the result of the hard work of John Gormley and the rest of the Committee of the Lower Ormeau Residents Action Group. The volunteers and staff of the centre are making that potential blossom day by day. They are at the core of a very effective urban renewal partnership, for funding has been crucial and thanks are due to the Department of Social Development, Sport Northern Ireland supported by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and the Department of Education. Ministers and senior representatives of these organisations are here today to celebrate this winning combination of local community initiative and investment by Government.
Ultimately the urban renewal this building is designed to bring about will be brought about by the people who use this place, who fill it out with their lives, hopes, friendships and their faith in community without division community without conflict, community where people care for one another in tangible and practical ways. I wish the Shaftesbury Community and Recreation Centre a great future in a great community.
Thank you.