| £1.2M Business Centre Opens in Ballymena South |
 Pictured from left are Brian Holmes, Chairman of Ballee and Harryville Community Enterprises Ltd, Sandy Smith, Joint Director General, International Fund for Ireland, Councillor James Currie MBE Mayor of Ballymena, Paul Brush, Head of European Programmes at DETI. A new business centre in Ballymena South was officially opened today (5th February 2010) by Sandy Smith, Joint Director General of the International Fund for Ireland. Located on the Antrim Road, the new £1.2m business centre provides over 10,000 sq feet of workspace comprising of 15 units for established businesses and start ups. It is hoped that the new business centre will create up to 30 new jobs for the area. The vision for this project originated with Ballee and Harryville Community Enterprises Ltd and funding was provided by: the International Fund for Ireland; the European Union through the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (Peace II) managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI); Ballymena Borough Council; and the local community. Speaking at the official launch Sandy Smith said: “This new business centre offers a truly shared space and fits well with the International Fund for Ireland’s key objective to encourage Unionists and Nationalists to work, learn and live together as part of a shared future. “The Fund committed £569,756 to this project and we are very happy to support projects such as this which underpin efforts to enhance social and economic advance, peace building and reconciliation. “Local start-ups and existing small businesses will no doubt be keen to take advantage of the new, high quality, affordable business units, which will help to create much needed job opportunities for local people.” Paul Brush, Head of European Programmes at DETI, said: "I am pleased that DETI has been able to provide Peace II financial assistance towards the Ballee and Harryville Community Enterprises Workspace Project in Ballymena. The development provides excellent workspace facilities with the aim of creating 30 new jobs. Such job creation will be a welcome boost for the local economy." Commenting on the business centre Howard Keery, Director of the Joint Technical Secretariat with the SEUPB, which managed the programme on behalf of DETI, said: “This is an extremely worthwhile project and one that will encourage a greater level of positive cross-community interaction. By creating a shared space, people from different backgrounds can come together and work towards a common goal. The new business centre will help to deliver upon some of the core objectives of the PEACE Programme and will also provide local employment to an area which has seen a great deal of economic hardship.” Councillor James Currie MBE Mayor of Ballymena, and Director of Ballee and Harryville Community Enterprises, said: “The provision of affordable workspace accommodation for new micro businesses and developing SME’s, in the Ballee and Harryville area will provide much needed employment opportunities for the local community and encourage entrepreneurship and investment in Ballymena South, which is welcomed.” “This project will complement the strong economic infrastructure within the Ballymena Borough Council area and contribute to Ballymena’s strong position in the Northern Ireland economy.” “As Director of the Company I would like to pay tribute to my fellow Directors and the local community for their dedication and hard work over the past number of years which has led to the fulfilment of the original objectives for this site, that being, to deliver the first economic and enterprise development initiative in the Ballee and Harryville area of Ballymena” Brian Holmes, Chairman of Ballee and Harryville Community Enterprises Ltd, said: “Both Ballee and Harryville community groups aim to support people from all age groups in their area. By providing workspace units at an affordable price the business centre will hopefully encourage people to start or develop their ideas and transform these into businesses for the benefit of all the community.” |
