New £300,000 lease of life for Maghery hall

01 June 2007

MAGHERY District Hall has been officially opened, after a refurbishment project totalling £300,000.

Portadown Times, 01 June 2007

The hall, which will provide a base and facilities for the whole community, was opened by the Mayor of Craigavon, Councillor Kenneth Twyble.

Also attending the ceremony were Deputy Mayor Mary McAlinden, along with members of Maghery and District Community Hall committee.

The development of the hall began in 2002 witha 22-year lease of the hall to the community, and the refurbishment was made possible through grants from a number of organisations.

Funding for heating and access facilities was provided by Rural Community Network, Adapt NI and Lloyds TSB. In phase two of the development, the new roof and electrics were funded by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, administered by the Lough Neagh Partnership.

The interior, exterior and security work was completed thanks to a grant from the EU programme for Peace and Reconciliation, managed by Craigavon Local Strategy Partnership.

Committee chairman Kevin Fox acknowledged the generosity of all funders involved in the project. The contractors were also commended for their "very high standard" of work, with Daly O’Neill Architects, Bullock Brothers, Brendan Clarke and main contractors J&M Begley given special mention for their roles.

Since its completion, the hall has hosted a wide range of gatherings, from youth groups to historical society meetings and fitness classes to senior citizen tea mornings.

A traditional music group also meets weekly, while Easter Sunday saw the hall open its doors to a group of Philippine nationals for a celebrations to which many from the local community were invited.