RAFFREY Hall is in line for major refurbishment, thanks to a £40,000 grant from the Whitemountain Programme.
The cash boost has been welcomed by the chairman of Raffrey and District Rural Association, David Morrow, who said the group is delighted with the funding.
He explained that the refurbishment initiative will increase the services offered to surrounding rural communities.
“The regeneration project will enable more people to engage in community cohesion, well-being and personal development activities,” he added.
Whitemountain’s communication officer, Niamh-Anne McNally, said the company is delighted to support local community and biodiversity projects through its programme which funds a range of schemes.
She explained that in the summer, the programme celebrated £6m investment in local projects, while in the autumn, Whitemountain achieved another milestone with 200 projects being supported since the financial support programme was launched in 2008.
“We are pleased to support Raffrey and District Rural Association in the refurbishment of Raffrey hall,” said Niamh-Anne.
“We hope the upgrade will enable it to become a buzzing community hub for all of the residents in the surrounding areas.”
The Whitemountain Programme distributes the landfill communities fund to projects dedicated to bringing positive change to communities within a 15-mile radius of its landfill site on the outskirts of Lisburn, with the programme managed by Groundwork Northern Ireland.
Groundwork’s Angelica Florez said Raffrey and District Rural Association’s plans to upgrade and refurbish the hall has been welcomed by the community and will ensure that it remains fit for purpose, meeting the changing needs of its users.