Rural groups to benefit from funding

Derry City and Strabane Council will allocate some £30,000 in surplus funding to support rural groups, a meeting has heard.

At a Health and Community Committee meeting on Thursday members endorsed the reallocation of £20,000 from the Rural Support Programme and £10,000 from the Community Support Programme into the Rural Community Centres Venue Fund (CCVF).

“The CCVF aims to address gaps in services where there are limited or no services provided through the existing council owned and community managed centres,” an officer said.

“And the CCVF was oversubscribed this year, meaning that more groups applied to the fund than could be funded…

“Ten groups within the CCVF had been awarded funding with five groups held in reserve, should further funding become available throughout the financial year.”

The funding will now allow for two of the groups held on the reserve list – Leckpatrick Development Association for Artigarvan Hall and Dennett Interchange – to receive funding of £12,000 each and for one group – Derg Valley Care – to receive part funding of £6,000.

Cllr Derek Hussey said a potential rates increase to fund the groups in the long term was “going to have to be taken on-board.”

“If we need these services then they’re going to have to be paid for,” he said. “And it’s going to have to be the ratepayers contributing.

“We see our rates money going left, right and centre. The rural community sees rates being spent within urban areas and they simply want their fair slice of the cake.”