Four Winds residents are "thrilled" as a new youth scheme has started in the area in an effort to bring young people together and build a stronger community.
Dreamscheme NI working in partnership with Newtownbreda FC Academy have launched a new project in the South Belfast area in order to provide young people with a positive outlet that has not been available for them locally.
It has seen the establishment of a youth football academy at Cairnshill Primary School for children in P3 and P4 and a youth hub for children in P7 and above at Cairnshill Methodist Church on Wednesday nights.
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Speaking to Belfast Live, Chris Pollock from Dreamscheme and Newtownbreda FC, said that they were excited to bring something new for young people in the Four Winds, saying that the area had been lacking in positive outlets.
He said: "The Four Winds is a constantly growing area full of young families but they have been lacking suitable facilities and outlets for them, with many having to travel outside of the area to play sport or attend youth clubs or schemes.
"The area feels almost forgotten about sometimes with pitches that are in urgent need of upgrading and a lack of community spaces where people are able to come together.
"Over the past few months we have been developing our project for the area with our partners and have been delighted to launch it this week and there has been a lot of excitement about it going ahead.
"We just hope that this is something that we are able to build on successfully so that we can bring the Four Winds community together while giving young people positive outlets locally that they have never had before."
Alliance councillor Michelle Guy attended the first session that was held at Cairnshill Primary School on Wednesday, February 1, and believes it will be a great asset to the area.
She said: "I’m really thrilled to see Dreamscheme’s Four Winds youth group launch so successfully. I know youth worker Chris Pollock has been doing the groundwork on this for many months and given Dreamscheme’s record in the area I know this group will be an asset to our community.
The only risk to this group fulfilling its potential is a lack of community facilities in the area that groups like Dreamscheme can use. I will raise this again with Council to see what opportunities exist to realise such a facility for this area.”
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