Brookfield centre to re-open after €56k grant
By Aura McMenamin
SOUTH Dublin County Council has said that they are working towards re-opening Brookfield Youth and Community Centre ‘as soon as possible’, following the announcement that the South Dublin County Sports partnership has received €56k towards funding a community sport and physical hub (CSPAH) in Brookfield, Tallaght.
The funding will link the Brookfield Youth and Community Centre, sports clubs, An Cosán and other local partners.
South Dublin Sports Partnership will provide equipment to maximise usage of the Youth and Community Centre, shower facilities, improved flooring, a climbing wall, a resurfaced Multi-Use Games Area, minor equipment and coach-training support for local clubs and activities for particularly hard-to-reach youth, through the efforts of YMCA and Foróige.
The investment is part of €176,000 that has been allocated to Dublin as part of the National Physical Activity Plan for disadvantaged communities.
An overall investment package of €1.5m in dormant accounts funding will be used for sport in Ireland.
Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Brendan Griffin TD made the announcement on Monday. He said: “My department has worked with Sport Ireland to ensure that all projects are providing opportunities to those who might not otherwise engage in sport and physical activity.
“We are already seeing the impact of the comprehensive programme of funding announced last month.
“Through these initiatives being rolled out by the Local Sports Partnership Network and the National Governing Bodies for Sport, more people with disabilities and those from socially, economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds are being given more opportunities and encouraged to participate in regular physical activity and sport.”
This will make the centre in Brookfield one of four new CSPAHs. The objective of CSPAH is to bring local people together and provide a home for local clubs and sports organisations.
The Hubs provide information, support and advice on a wide range of sports and physical activities, to make it easier for people in disadvantaged areas to get involved in and engage in a more active and healthier lifestyle.
A further €15,000 will be given to South Dublin County Council for their youth leadership programme.
This programme is designed to develop leadership skills that can be applied to a variety of sports and recreational situations. It is rolled out by local sports partnerships to teenagers in transition year of secondary school or in a community setting.
Other programmes that will benefit include the Special Olympics Ireland Support Programme, which will hold the Special Olympics Ireland Games in Dublin in 2018 and has received €150,000 in funding. An Empowering Women in Sport programme, has received €25,000 in funding to research the needs of young women in sport.
The council said that they were ‘delighted’ with the allocation.
A spokesperson for the council said: “We are delighted with the allocation made in response to the application made some months ago.The South Dublin County Sporst Partnership received €31,000 for capital and €25k for programmes and we will be liaising with the ETB regarding this.
“The Partnership will be linking in with the FAI and others, Gardai, local clubs and schools etc. to look at the development of longer term programmes.”
“The council is progressing towards reopening of the Brookfield Community Centre as soon as possible.”
