NEWS RELEASE
Friday 7th July 2006
FAO News Editor
United States Consul General, Dean Pittman officially opens the Tara Complex at Corrymeela Centre, Ballycastle.
Eleven years ago this week the television programme Challenge Anneka team constructed three buildings at Corrymeela, Ballycastle in record time. Today these buildings collectively named Tara have undergone major refurbishment to bring this much used resource up to date and most importantly accessible to all. US Consul General Dean Pittman will officially open these rooms to mark the start of the capital renewal of the Corrymeela Centre.
The Tara complex opened today houses an arts and crafts room for structured creative learning including: Giggles and Squiggles, Spirals, Sticky Fingers, Mask Making and more; a games room for older children, and a social recreation place, a regular venue for discos and karaoke evenings. Outdoor activities are an essential part of the Centre programmes with a rich variety of adventure learning activities, team building games and cooperative exercises which are played in the open space in front of the Tara buildings.
Consul General Dean Pittman said, “The Tara complex is another great contribution Corrymeela has made to Northern Ireland and marks an important step in Corrymeela’s major capital build and refurbishment appeal. The Complex will allow young people from all communities to come together to work, play and learn in a safe and healthy environment. The United States has always been impressed by the efforts Corrymeela has undertaken to build a more inclusive and peaceful society here and we were particularly honored to have Centre Director Ronnie Millar as a special guest of the White House during this year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.”
Thanks to the funding received from the Youth Service at the Department of Education, Corrymeela will now be able to meet the needs of more young people using the Tara resources, irrespective of disability, exclusion or experience of marginalization. Ms Louise Warde-Hunter, Head of Policy, Research and Youth Programmes with the Department of Education said "The Department of Education is delighted to help Corrymeela become more accessible to all young people and engage in peace building youth work here. Inclusion is a key theme within the Youth Work Strategy and these improvements will enable Corrymeela to bring together a greater diversity of young people to explore making our shared future a reality."
Kate Pettis Chairperson of the Corrymeela Council said “The Corrymeela experience over the last forty years has proven that understanding and trust develop both through doing things together, such as adventure learning and creative expression, as well as sharing and listening to each other. All of these good things flourish in the Tara complex.”
The US Consul will also visit a conference taking place at the Corrymeela Centre entitled Visions 4 2 morrow which is an unique programme in which young people, design, plan, facilitate and participate in annual residential conferences to explore current and relevant issues that impact on the lives of young people within the Southern Education and Library Board area. The conference’s aims are to give young people a voice to promote Equity, Diversity and Interdependence (EDI) and to encourage participation. The project helps young people to develop skills in conference planning, multi-media, facilitation, evaluation and youth and community work.
Ends
For more information, please contact Jo Watson on 020 9050 8080 (day), jowatson@corrymeela.org (e-mail).
Photographs are available - Paul McErlane (photographer)
Notes for Editors
US Consul General Dean Pittman will officially open the Tara Complex at 12.30pm with a photo opportunity at 12.45pm on Friday 7th July 2006.
Corrymeela is an ecumenical community of people committed to reconciliation and peace-building through the healing of social, religious and political divisions in Northern Ireland. Our residential centre on the North Coast of Antrim has been a safe space for meeting, encounter and dialogue for thousands of families, school children, youth groups, churches and community groups for the last forty years. In addition Corrymeela has hosted numerous conferences with participants that are local, national and international.
The Corrymeela Community has a Capital Fundraising Appeal underway to fund the renewal of the Corrymeela Centre at Ballycastle. The total fundraising target is £3.5 million by the end of 2008.