Local Cycling Projects Receive Sport NI Funding
Sport NI Funding
Sport NI funding – Ahead of this year’s exciting Giro D’Italia Gran Fondo, Sport Northern Ireland announced details of funding awards to ten grass-roots community projects aiming to build on the success of last year’s Giro D’Italia Big Start and keep local people cycling.
The awards were made as part of special £85,000 cycling-themed strand of Sport NI’s Active Awards for Sport small grants programme, established to continue the Giro legacy and support further development of cycling, particularly in areas of greatest need.
Sport NI Director of Participation Nick Harkness welcomed the announcement, and noted the significance of the awards, stating:
“The tremendous success of last year’s Big Start, and the mounting excitement for this week’s Gran Fondo event demonstrate the huge interest in and enthusiasm for cycling in Northern Ireland. Sport Northern Ireland recognises how important it is for us to recognise and respond to the upward trend in grassroots participation in cycling and that is why we are delighted to be making today’s funding awards.
These ten projects are doing fantastic work. As well as enabling people across Northern Ireland to enjoy and engage in cycling, particularly underrepresented groups such as women and people with disabilities, they are also using use the sport to promote more cohesive and inclusive communities.”
Among the groups receiving an award is the Old Library Trust Healthy Living Centre in Derry, whose ‘Creggan Goes Cycling Crazy” promotes participation in cycling across the Triax area of the city. Commenting on their award, Old Library Trust’s title George McGowan noted:
“We’re delighted to have the support of Sport NI for our project. Its aim is to enable local families to regularly take part in cycling activities and events, and to educate and train new generations of bike mechanics to assist in the upkeep of local community bikes. Like so many people I was delighted to see the Giro D’Italia come to Northern Ireland last year, and am really looking forward to the Gran Fondo. I believe that, through projects such as ours, we can continue to build on the legacy of these major events and ensure that cycling continues to benefit and be enjoyed by local people for years to come.”
Sport NI Funding ¦ Mountain Biking ¦ Active Awards For Sport ¦ Cycling ¦ Northern Ireland ¦ Belfast