Drogheda in Co. Louth is one of the fastest growing provincial towns in Ireland. However, it still has high levels of unemployment and associated social problems. A number of housing estates in the town have been identified as disadvantaged areas, with local residents contending with a lack of community facilities, low access to training and threats to existing play and outdoor areas from vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

With the Fund’s support, the Holy Family Community Association in the Ballsgrove estate has developed a new community facility which is becoming the heartbeat of the locality.

Used by over 20 community organisations, the new facility provides meeting space, an indoor sports hall and a small coffee shop.  Aidan Walsh explains what it means to the local community:
“The community centre started over twenty years ago with just IR£150 from the local parish and some prefab buildings which were left over when the school was built. It was used for everything from table tennis to prayer groups, local music groups and youth clubs. It was used by everyone in the local area and also from beyond – it actually drew people into the area.

“Four years ago, we began to think about a proper centre, with encouragement from RAPID. Then our prefabs, which were by then pretty dilapidated, were all but destroyed by a serious storm.  It took us three years of fundraising and planning before we started building, but the International Fund’s support was tremendous.

“The new communal and recreational facility was officially opened in September 2008 and comprises 6,300 sq. ft. of space, providing an indoor sports hall for teenager activities and other local social functions.  The number of people using the Centre continues to grow all the time. People who used the centre before have come back and new people are starting to use our facilities. The new centre is warm, clean and welcoming. There is a mass every morning and people are starting to meet up in our cafe for a chat afterwards. Our cafe is also starting to supply meals to schools, providing a service for kids who need a good lunch.

“We continue to be run by a volunteer management board – including the two volunteers who started the centre all those years ago. They are as enthusiastic now as they were then!”