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Project Name: |
St Comgall’s |
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Zone: |
Belfast West |
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Category: |
Capital |
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Social Investment Fund Outcomes: |
Increasing Community Services |
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Status: |
Commenced |
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Funding awarded: |
£3,492,500 |
About the Project:
The St Comgall’s project involved the restoration of the Grade 1 listed St Comgall's School building and conversion to a vibrant community hub, with a number of services and facilities which will benefit everyone in the local community. The building and the surrounding site were in considerable disrepair and a run-down state and works were necessary to bring the building up to a modern fit for purpose state that complied with health and safety and DDA requirements. This major project was also supported by match funding from Belfast City Council.
Capital works included provision of basement offices; a number of units for retail, cafe, exhibition and research space on the ground floor, multi-purpose function/ conference room and service area on the ground floor including a central courtyard, a number of units for hot desking space for new business ventures, a childcare day facility, retail training facility, office space for community arts, office space for an event organiser company, office space for IT consultants and office facilities for empowering the residents of the area, by offering after-schools programmes, youth programmes, community education and older people programmes.
The restoration of St Comgall’s will enhance the economic, educational, social and cultural fabric of west Belfast by bringing back into use an historic building as an integral part of the living and working community and as a valuable local community hub, by enhancing the local built environment and through the regeneration of the area which is acknowledged as the gateway to West Belfast and the Gaeltacht Quarter. It will also facilitate a renewed sense of civic pride and local identity which can be used as a catalyst for more widespread regeneration and enhanced good relations.
Progress to date:
The St Comgall’s project has completed construction and is operational . The redevelopment of St Comgall’s will provide the local area with a vibrant community hub delivering a range of economic, educational, cultural and social benefits. It will increase community services and reduce deprivation within the locale and throughout the wider SIF Belfast West Zone.
Impacts:
Monitoring and evaluation of all Social Investment Fund projects is carried out using “Outcomes Based Accountability” (OBA). Where SIF has funded capital works, the project provides quarterly “post-capital” data for a period of 3 years which details the positive impacts enabled by the capital works undertaken. OBA data collection is ongoing for the final capital infographic.