£1.7million sporting and community pavilion opens in Larne

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s latest addition to its top class facilities has been officially opened at Sandy Bay.

Larne’s local community and sportspeople can enjoy spacious changing facilities and top floor rooms with panoramic views of the playing fields and brand new cricket wicket.

The two storey development also includes a huge community hall with kitchen space and storage.

The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Cllr Peter Johnston said: “This new space will not only help support the sports clubs who regularly train here, but act as a much needed community hub for locals. The new cricket pitches alongside state of the art changing spaces will hopefully see future stars come up through the ranks and inspire generations of athletes to come.

“The community space will provide the perfect location for local groups to hold various events here and with baby changing, kitchen space and plenty of room, the options to cater for all kinds of activities are endless.

“I’d like to thank the local community for being so supportive and particularly local groups and clubs who we have engaged with over the past few years to get this much needed project over the line.

“This latest investment shows Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s commitment to bolstering health and wellbeing for our citizens and I can’t wait to see people coming out of lockdown to enjoy this brand new facility.”

The Sandy Bay Centenary Pavilion has been named to commemorate 100 years since the formation of Northern Ireland after a proposal by Council’s NI100 Working Group representative, Cllr Gregg McKeen: “This building is probably one of the few new structures in Northern Ireland to mark the centenary year for Northern Ireland in its name.

“The facility will be a welcome addition for the people of Larne that provides a space for everyone to come together to share in social and sporting activities alike. Council have a number of ‘looking back to look forward’ events to mark the centenary year for Northern Ireland and these facilities will provide for local people long into the future.”

The playing fields at Sandy Bay have been utilised by the town’s sporting fraternity for generations, and sports played here have included rugby, football, hockey and cricket.

Throughout 2021, Council is hosting a programme of events under the NI 100 umbrella to celebrate 100 years since the formation of Northern Ireland.

These events, exhibitions and community initiatives are all aimed at showcasing and championing culture, heritage, education, history, and future prosperity throughout the Mid and East Antrim Borough. For the latest on the NI 100 celebrations in Mid and East Antrim, visit W: www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/ni100