£100k for disability water sports project

A new £100,000 Disability Water Sports Hub project was unveiled at Carrickfergus Marina on Tuesday afternoon.
Pictured at Carrickfergus are Angela Hendra MBE, Disability Sport NI, Kevin O'Neill, Disability Sport NI, Robert Heyburn, Department for Communities, Paul Bunting, Belfast Lough Sailability and John News, Sport NI.Pictured at Carrickfergus are Angela Hendra MBE, Disability Sport NI, Kevin O'Neill, Disability Sport NI, Robert Heyburn, Department for Communities, Paul Bunting, Belfast Lough Sailability and John News, Sport NI.
Pictured at Carrickfergus are Angela Hendra MBE, Disability Sport NI, Kevin O'Neill, Disability Sport NI, Robert Heyburn, Department for Communities, Paul Bunting, Belfast Lough Sailability and John News, Sport NI.

Disability Sport NI announced funding has been awarded to four Sailability projects.

Carrickfergus-based Belfast Lough Sailability (BLS), Foyle Sailability, Lough Erne Yacht Club and Craigavon Water Sports Centre were recipients of a range of sailing craft or a floating pontoon

Representatives from Disability Sport NI, the Department for Communities, Sport NI and Mid and East Antrim Council took to the water to showcase BLS’s new safety and rescue boat.

They were joined by guests from Disability Action NI, Department for Education, Department for Health, the Northern Ireland Sports Forum, Special Olympics and each of the recipient organisations.

The funding stems from the ‘Active Living: No Limits Action Plan’ announced by Department for Communities in 2016 to improve the wellbeing of people with disabilities through participation in active recreation.

Noting the hard work of the recipient organisations, Kevin O’Neill, chief executive for Disability Sport NI, said: “We would like to thank the Department for Communities and Sport NI for providing us with the funds to support this project and we look forward to the many more exciting developments that the Active Living: No Limits 2021 Action plan will bring to disability sports in Northern Ireland.”

A spokesman from the Department for Communities, Tony Murphy said: “The launch today demonstrates how the plan will help people with a disability who want to be more physically active or competitive, to realise their ambitions and dreams and to ensure that everyone with a disability has an equal opportunity to access sport and active recreation, leading to a more healthy and active lifestyle.”