A FORMER bonfire site and dumping ground in South Belfast is to be transformed thanks to a £25,000 grant.
The site in Ballarat Street off the Ravenhill Road will be developed into a play space for young children and a gardening area with raised beds and seating for everyone to enjoy.
The project is being overseen by the Lagan Village Youth and Community Group. Established in 2012 and based in a community centre in Ballarat Street, the group aims to make a significant difference to people’s lives by inspiring and supporting them to learn new transferable skills, improve their health and wellbeing and connect with other local communities.
The funding has been provided by Breedon Ireland’s Whitemountain Programme, together with support from Belfast City Council and the Department for Communities.
George Newell from the Lagan Village Youth and Community Group said: "It has taken a lot of hard work and commitment to get us to this point and this funding from the Whitemountain Programme has given us a real boost.
"This site has seen residents tortured by fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour for many years and we can't wait to able to turn it into a space for the whole community to enjoy.
"We hope that the work will be complete by spring 2023 to allow our local gardeners to begin planting up the raised beds."
Richard Rogers of Groundwork Northern Ireland added: "We were really impressed by the group's determination to overcome numerous obstacles and make this project a reality, and were delighted to be offer this support through the Whitemountain Programme.
"Although the project is modest in scale, we're confident it will help transform both the local environment and the lives of local residents."
