Mountfield Area Development Association Limited
Project Summary
Mountfield Area Development Association Ltd is an organisation that provides outreach in the community delivering supportive and integrated services throughout the area aiming to improve the quality of life of the local population.
Driven by this aim, the organisation sought funding under the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme via the Rural Basic Services Scheme towards the construction of a new community centre that would act as the focal point for the community bringing a much needed range of outreach services to the Mountfield area. An application was submitted to their local LAG, Fermanagh and Omagh Local Action Group Limited in January 2018.
Project Information
Mountfield is a small village in Co Tyrone, six miles north east of Omagh, nestled at the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains. Mountfield Community Association has been serving the community with activities and events since their establishment in 1972, initially from a converted garage which had to be demolished due to health and safety reasons, then through a mobile infrastructure and finally from the village Primary School.
Following consultation with the local community and looking at opportunities for development the Association decided to form a Company Limited by guarantee. Mountfield Area Development Association Ltd (MADA), incorporated on 23rd August 2017 and started the process of developing a purpose-built community hub on a site owned by Mountfield Community Association.
Activities
Mountfield Area Development Association Ltd was awarded £250,000.00 to construct a purpose-built community facility to offer an innovative solution to addressing access to basic services to the local community seven days a week.
Benefits
During the development of the project, the group consulted with the local community to identify gaps in services and used the feedback to plan a wide range of popular service delivery activities. As a result, the new community centre provides a state-of-the-art facility that is a hub for numerous activities that meet the demands of the demographics in the area including a senior citizens club, a youth club, a summer scheme, health and well-being workshops, educational and employability workshops, parent and toddler groups and cross community and cultural workshops.
This new centre undoubtedly enables Mountfield Area Development Association Ltd to expand the range of services provided to a wider audience and encourages sustained use of the service hub.
Lessons
Kevin Begley, Chair of Mountfield Area Development Association Ltd confirmed that the Rural Basic Services Scheme required them to look very closely at where the gaps in service provision lay and this gave them a focus not only for identifying new services but what type of facility they would require in order to best service user groups. With the works now complete, Kevin added that we’re delighted with the new facilityl, as are the various local groups who use it. Working up the application and seeing the project through to completion was a lot of hard work but we received lots of help and guidance along the way from the LAG staff, for which we are extremely grateful’.
