Tuesday 19th September saw the official opening of a new picnic area and the unveiling of a number of sculptures within Alexandra Park. The £44,000 scheme was developed as part of North Belfast Partnership’s Community Environment Support Programme for inner North Belfast and is the result of extensive consultation between the Mountcollyer community, Belfast City Council and Groundwork NI. The scheme aims to improve the facilities available within the park, and strengthen the sense of ownership & connection with Alexandra Park felt by local residents.
The project received £34,369 of funding from the EU Urban II Community Initiative Programme with an additional £10,000 secured from the Schools for Sustainable Development programme, which is supported by Toyota GB.
The scheme includes decorative seating & animal sculptures designed in conjunction with pupils at Currie Primary School, a picnic area, new planting and an enhanced kick-about area for local young people.
Speaking on behalf of North Belfast Partnership, Cllr Ian Crozier said:
“I am delighted to be here today at this event. It is a great indication of what a relatively small investment can do to enhance the physical landscape of existing facilities. What makes this project even more significant is that it is part of a programme developed by North Belfast Partnership through its delivery of the Urban II initiative that is targeting environmental resources at 10 areas in inner North Belfast and providing networking opportunities for those communities”
Richard Rogers from Groundwork NI added:
“Groundwork has worked closely with local residents, Currie Primary School and Belfast City Council over the past year to help make the park a more vibrant & exciting place for both children & adults to visit and enjoy. The sculptures and decorative seating are all based on the children’s ideas. Hopefully this scheme will help continue the ongoing process of regenerating the whole Mountcollyer area.”
It is hoped that the project can be enhanced in future years as the Council continues the process of implementing its strategy for developing & improving green spaces across the city.
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