Finn Harps FC welcomes the news that Strengthen, Engage, Enable, Deliver Project (SEED) has been awarded €9.8M in the Ballybofey/ Stranorlar area under the Rural Regeneration Programme.
Ballybofey and Stranorlar Integrated Community Company (BASICC) last week welcomed the announcement of the major funding investment in the regeneration of Ballybofey-Stranorlar town centre. The submission for the project was developed by Donegal County Council, in partnership with BASICC, following over 18 months of planning, consultation and development.
Kieran Doherty, Chairperson of BASICC, welcomed the announcement. ‘We are really excited by today’s funding announcement. The project will be transformative for our towns and is the result of strong community and business involvement in creating a vision for our future. We would like to thank Donegal County Council, and in particular the Regeneration and Development team, for all their efforts in putting together this submission.’
The SEED project will deliver major change to the commercial heart of Ballybofey-Stranorlar by transforming a car park into a multi-purpose civic space, and redeveloping a derelict heritage building – the old Ritz Cinema – into an Enterprise Hub with the potential for up to 200 jobs. In addition, the project will provide a multi-storey car park and new public amenities.
Mr Doherty emphasised the potential for the project to reinvigorate the town centre not just physically, but by bringing a new sense of energy and ambition to the cultural, community and commercial groups in the towns. ‘The real value of this project for our community is to bring people out and create spaces where they can meet and mingle. And to renew the sense of a thriving market town by bringing enterprise and jobs into the centre of our business area.’
BASICC thanked everyone who supported the project, particularly our local community and business partners, our local Councillors Martin Harley and Patrick McGowan, and national politicians. BASICC look forward to continuing to work with our partners to deliver this project and ensure it reaches its full potential.
A spokesperson for Finn Harps said ‘This investment will see further opportunities for remote work in Donegal as they seek to attract companies to the area and also facilitate those people who prefer not to or cannot work remotely from the home while also providing massive benefits to the urban area. This is brilliant news for the Twin Towns and for the county and is another exciting development in the area of remote work to add to the brilliant work BASICC have been doing for a number of years. Projects like this will help reinvigorate the region and provide opportunities for people young and old to stay in or return to the county while working in their chosen field. Check out the Grow Remote jobs board for a flavour of the opportunities already available across many different sectors.’
Visit the Grow Remote Jobs Board for Ireland HERE