They’re giving a special training session down at St Brigids in South Belfast’s Musgrave Park, as a way for the club to say a ‘Thank You’ to Lottery players.
St Brigids GAC recently celebrated its first 10 years in existence as an ‘open door’ policy sports club – welcoming Catholics and Protestants, men and women, children and adults, to play Gaelic football, hurling and ladies football.
Until now, space and facilities has limited the Club’s numbers and ambitions for growth, but thanks to an injection of £162,000 – part of the £56 million of Lottery funding given to Good Causes across Northern Ireland last year – St Brigids can now take its doors ‘off the hook’.
Oliver Lennon, the club’s chairman explains, “Lottery funding has been a huge boost to the club and has assisted us greatly in paying for the development of the playing pitches at Musgrave Park, a facility that has cost over £500,000 to establish.
“Last year we celebrated the official opening of the facility as well as our first 10 years of existence – in many regards this facility will be the cornerstone on which we build the next 10 years of development and growth”.
He continued, “We have over 800 members, including over 300 children participating in Gaelic games. Our membership base is drawn from all facets of the diverse society in South Belfast and we work closely with other sports clubs and organisations in the local community – most notably Belfast Harlequins rugby club and Aquinas soccer club.
“Our aim as a club is to encourage children and adults to participate in sport as a means to get active and keep healthy, whilst strengthening our relationships with other clubs, schools and sports organisations throughout South Belfast.”
Joan Grenville from The National Lottery commented, “We think it’s important that Lottery players know about all the fantastic projects, both in their area and across the UK, that are made possible thanks to £25 million they help raise each week just by playing the Lottery. We hope that people will go to Lottery funded projects like St Brigids or go online at www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk and see the difference the funding is making.”
