Residents are invited to come along and have their say on a proposed play park in Avenue Road.
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council is hosting a public meeting at Avenue Road Community Centre on Wednesday 27th February at 7.00pm to discuss the equipment, layout and design.
At the meeting residents will be given the chance to have their questions answered about the proposed play area and learn how council aims to implement the good practise design principles outlined within its play strategy, enhancing play value at existing sites and ensuring the future new development delivers a quality play experience for everyone.
For more information, contact the play development officer on 0300 0300 900.
“Play is crucial to children’s healthy development and happiness and is vital for children’s mental health and wellbeing.”
It is through playing that children, from a very young age, engage with and learn about the world around them. Play allows children to create and explore the world, developing lifelong skills and competencies. From birth through to teenage years, babies and children develop important social and emotional skills through watching, listening and interacting with you and through their play. Good play experiences can therefore help nurture children’s emotional and mental health.
Life often throws challenges our way and it through talking, listening, interacting and playing that children learn to deal with these situations and develop new knowledge and coping skills.
As parents remember you play a vital role in encouraging children to be healthy:
- Make time for fun and “down time” with your children, especially as they get older.
- Enjoy some time watching, listening and playing with your child.
- Allow your child to learn from their own mistakes with support.
- Give your child age appropriate freedoms and help them learn their own limits. Show them you trust them to make appropriate decisions.
Evidence suggests that time spent in the natural environment offers developmental, emotional and overall health benefits for children. There are numerous benefits ranging from increased creativity and problem solving skills, reduced stress and anxiety, and increased physical activity.
Children who spend time outdoors in natural environments can be:
- Happier – studies show fresh air, sunshine and increased activity levels all encourage good mood and reduce tendencies toward poor mental health.
- Healthier – being outdoors in the natural environment helps children to access fresh air and vitamin D; indoor air is usually less healthy.
- Calmer – exposure to nature and being outdoors can contribute to a healthy heart rate and reduced muscle tension including the production of stress hormones.
- More physically active – children playing in natural environments can improve their motor fitness, coordination, balance and agility.
- Better vision – being outdoors is good for eye health and time spent outdoors can help reduce short-sightedness in children.
“There’s no way that we can help children to learn to love and preserve this planet, if we don’t give them direct experiences with the miracles and blessings of nature.” – Anita Olds
Free Tai Chi for Health classes will be taking place in Brownlow Community Hub starting on 25th February until Monday 8th April 2019 from 10.00am – 11.00am.
Tai Chi for health is a series of relaxed, gentle movements that can improve fitness, muscle strength, flexibility, balance and reduce the risk of falling. Tai Chi is particularly beneficial for people with arthritis, however anyone can enjoy the health benefits of the programme.
To book a place please contact Cathy Devlin on Tel: 028 3831 2533 or email cathy.devlin@armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk.
Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.
Congratulations to the 72 girls who recently attended the Youth Sport Trust Girls Active Inspiration Day held in Craigavon which saw them developing their leadership and marketing skills.
The girls will now go back to their schools as role models and leaders with the confidence to encourage other girls to become more active through improved marketing and the delivery of new activities which appeal to a wider range of girls.
Youth Support Trust continue to make a positive difference to the lives of children and young people, through improving mental and physical wellbeing, providing leadership opportunities and increasing overall achievement levels.
For more information on the work that Youth Support Trust do visit https://www.youthsporttrust.org/.
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council will be holding a public meeting in Aghacommon on the 29th January as it forges ahead with implementing its play strategy and delivering its ambitious programme of improving outdoor play provision for all children across the borough.
With the public meeting organised, residents in each locality are encouraged to engage with the council and play an active role in bringing exciting play development proposals to fruition.
The Tannaghmore Gardens play park meeting will be held on Tuesday 29th of January at 7.00pm in St. Patricks Primary School, Aghacommon, Derrymacash Road.
These public meetings present a unique opportunity for members of the local community to share the views on site preference, design and layout of the play park along with choice of play equipment. The council is committed to ensuring its extensive portfolio of play parks are maintained to the highest standards, developed to meet local need and well designed to provide quality play experiences for children in all parts of the borough.
For more information. contact the play development officer on 0300 0300 900.
Construction work on state-of-the-art leisure complex progressing well after steel frame installation
Construction of a new, state-of-the-art £35 million leisure centre in Craigavon is advancing fast and is on course for phased completion in 2020.
With the steel frame structure now firmly installed on the dry side of the building – providing an anticipatory glimpse of how the structure will look on completion – foundation works to create the new 50-metre gala swimming pool are now well under way.
The latest build milestone paves the way for a series of key installations in quick succession, including the creation of two additional pools, an eight-court sports hall, studio spaces, squash courts and an indoor children’s soft play area.
Tandragee-based concrete and piling firm Taranto installed the 1,000 concrete piles needed to support the 415-tonne steel frame on the dryside of the building, supplied and installed by Walter Watson, a family firm based in Co Down.
Once complete, the new leisure centre will also be home to a world class 1,000m2 gym – the largest available anywhere in Ireland – as well as an extensive outdoor water-sports provision, traditional best-in-class fitness facilities and fluid open spaces including a café and studios, which have been designed to meet community and visitor needs.
Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Cllr. Julie Flaherty, said:
“A flagship project creating at least 500 jobs on site, with more to follow, this is a pivotal moment in the development of this new and exciting leisure facility, which has been designed to transform the health, wellbeing and quality of life for residents and visitors for generations to come.”
The new centre will be among the first in Northern Ireland to feature ‘Pool Pod’ platform lifts, designed as a legacy of the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics to improve pool access for people with disabilities and the less mobile.
This follows a major partnership with Disability Sport NI to deliver a flagship leisure centre which supports the development and long-term sustainability of sports and leisure programmes for people with disabilities. Working with Disability Sport NI, the Council has ensured that access and facilities have been prioritised and advanced from design through to completion.
Farrans, one of the UK and Ireland’s leading construction firms, is spearheading the contemporary new build and has a long track record of delivering successful projects, including Bangor’s award-winning Aurora leisure centre, Victoria Square shopping centre in Belfast and Craigavon Area Hospital.
The project was procured via the Scape Major Works framework, which has since been superseded by the Scape National Construction framework. Configured to deliver construction projects across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom, the frameworks performance management processes ensure Farrans is working directly with local suppliers, contractors and the wider community.
Mark Robinson, Scape Group Chief Executive, said;
“We are pleased to see Craigavon’s new leisure centre taking shape. It has taken tremendous effort from Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council to create an exciting facility that will be accessible to all, and encourage a healthier lifestyle for the local community.
“Creating social value and delivering community benefits is embedded throughout our frameworks. As well as ensuring a maximum spend on local labour and SME engagement, the project will also drive long-term economic benefits through the provision of training, upskilling and employment opportunities for the local community. We look forward to seeing this project evolve in the coming months.”
For more information on the new South Lake Leisure Centre in Craigavon visit https://getactiveabc.com/south-lake-leisure-centre/
Orchard Leisure Centre
23rd December – 10.15am – 5.30pm
24-26th December – Closed
27-28th December – 9:15am – 5:00pm
29th December – 9.15am – 5.30pm
30th December – 10.15am – 5.30pm
31st December – 9.15am – 5.00pm
1st January – Closed
Cascades Leisure Complex
24-26th December – Closed
27-28th December – 9:00am – 5:00pm
29th December – 10.00am – 4.00pm
30th December – Closed
31st December – 9.00am -5.00pm
1st January – Closed
Craigavon Leisure Centre
24-26th December – Closed
27-28th December – 9:00am – 5:00pm
29th December – 9.00am – 4.00pm
30th December – 2.00pm – 5.00pm
31st December – 9.00am – 5.00pm
1st January – Closed
Waves Leisure Complex
24-26th December – Closed
27-28th December – 9:00am – 5:00pm
29th December – 8.30am – 3.30pm
30th December – Closed
31st December – 9.00am – 5.00pm
1st January – Closed
Banbridge Leisure Centre
23rd December – Normal Hours
24-26th December – Closed
27-28th December – 9:00am – 5:00pm
29-30th December – Normal Hours
31st December – 9.00am – 5.00pm
1st January – Closed
Craigavon Golf & Ski Centre
24-26th December – Closed
27th-31st December – 9:00am – 5:00pm
1st January – Closed
Lough Neagh Discovery Centre
24-26th December – Closed
27th-31st December – 10:00am – 5:00pm
1st January – Closed
Kinnego Marina Office
24-26th December – Closed
27th-31st December – 9.00am – 5.00pm
1st January – Closed
Oxford Island Site
24th December – 8.00am -6.00pm
26-31st December – 8.00am – 6.00pm
1st January – 8.00am – 6.00pm
Tannaghmore Farm
24th December – 10.00am – 4.00pm
26th-31st December – 10.00am – 4.00pm
1st January – 10.00am – 4.00pm
Ardmore & Cathedral Road Recreation Centre
24-26th December – Closed
27th-31st December – Open (depending on bookings)
1st January – Closed
Tandragee Recreation Centre
23rd December – 9.00am – 5.00pm
24-26th December – Closed
27-28th December – 9.00am – 5.00pm
29th December – 9.15am – 5.15pm
31st December – 9.00am – 5.00pm
1st January – Closed
Dromore Community Centre
22nd-23rd December – Normal Hours
24-26th December – Closed
27-28th December – 9.00am – 5.00pm
29-30th December – Normal Hours
31st December – 9.00am – 5.00pm
1st January – Closed
Rathfriland Community Centre
24-26th December – Closed
27-28th December – 9:00am – 5:00pm
29th December – 9.00am – 1.00pm
31st December – 9.00am – 5.00pm
1st January – Closed
Gilford Community Centre
21st December – Closed
22-23rd December – Open
24-26th December – Closed
27-28th December – 9.00am – 5.00pm
29-30th December – Open
31st December – 9.00am – 5.00pm
1st January – Closed
Keady Recreation Centre
22nd December – 9.00am – 5.00pm
24-26th December – Closed
27-28th December – 9.00am – 5.00pm
29th December – 10.00am – 5.30pm
31st December – 9.00am – 5.00pm
1st January – Closed
Richhill Recreation Centre
22nd-31st December – Closed
1st January – Closed
2nd January – Normal Hours
Loughgall Country Park
24-26th December – Closed
Public Parks
24th-31st December – 7.00am – 6.00pm
1st January – 7.00am – 6.00pm
Children have an innate urge to play from birth right through to teenage years. Freely chosen play is critically important for all children as part of their everyday lives and access to quality, unstructured play is known to help improve children and young people’s overall health, well-being and development.
During the early years of children’s lives parents are encouraged to play with their children; these early play experiences can help create a bond and attachment between parents and their children. Good play experiences will help children to develop many skills such as self-confidence, self-esteem, curiosity, independence, and resilience.
As children grow older they may not call free activity as playing but might prefer for it to be called hanging out or chilling out. It is critically important that adults remember to allow children and young people the time and space to ‘hang out or chill out’. It is during pre-teen/teenage years that children and young people seek greater independence away from their parents/ adults. Friends and friendship groups become very significant and healthy friendships are important.
For more information on how Play Matters visit https://bit.ly/2LjO0GM
On Thursday 6 December, Tandragee Recreation Centre held its 23rd annual Christmas Inter-Primary School 5-a-side football competition. Six primary schools from Tandragee and the surrounding area took part in the competition with some schools entering more than one team.
Derryhale Primary School scooped the top prize receiving the Inter-Primary School Cup whilst the runners up were Clare Primary School, both teams received medals. There was a fantastic atmosphere at the Centre and all teams received light refreshments afterwards.
The staff at Tandragee Recreation Centre would like to thank all the participating Primary Schools for their continued support, also thank the Deputy Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough, Councillor Paul Duffy for attending the tournament & wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Peaceful New Year.
