21st June 1999

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18 Million NI Sports Investment Announced, as partnership between Sports Council for Northern Ireland and University of Ulster is Unveiled

An £18 Million investment in Northern Ireland Sport was announced today (Monday 21st June) as the Sports Council for Northern Ireland unveiled its partnership with the University of Ulster in the development of the Northern Ireland Network Centre of the UK Sports Institute.

The main aim of the project is to give elite, international and national standard sportsmen and women priority, prime time, subsidised access to first class facilities and support services. The NI Sports Institute, which will be created to promote excellence in sport, will be part of a network of centres across the UK, collectively known as the UK Sports Institute. The driving ambition of both partners in the scheme is to ensure Northern Ireland athletes in a wide variety of disciplines will no longer be restrained by lack of facilities and services and will be better able to compete with the best in their respective sports.

The Institute which is funded through the Sports Council for Northern Ireland's share Lottery fund and investment by the University of Ulster, and the Northern Ireland Educational Foundation, is planned to be developed and completed over the - next three years. The concept involves the creation of a nucleus of top quality training and support services, made available primarily at the University of Ulster's Jordanstown campus and the establishment of formal links with other key facilities nearby.

It is envisaged that the Institute will include development of an indoor training centre, athletes' training track, sports medicine facilities, 50 metre training pool and games pitches. The likely services provided by the Institute will be divided into four categories: Sports Science, Sports Medicine, Coaching and Lifestyle.

Following today's announcement, the next stage in the development process is a detailed consultation with athletes and governing bodies of sport to establish the detailed needs and likely patterns of use. This will enable detailed business planning to proceed.

Speaking at the launch, Don Allen OBE, Chairman of the Sports Council for Northern Ireland expressed his delight at the formation of the partnership with UUJ:

"This project will be the single most important development in the history of elite sport in NI and we are delighted that the University of Ulster will share in our vision to provide our best sportsmen and women with the support they need to compete and win at the highest level. Although today's announcement marks the culmination of many hours of negotiations, in many ways it should be viewed as the beginning of a new era in Northern Ireland Sport. Having formed the partnership with UUJ, we now look forward to our detailed consultation process with both athletes and sporting bodies, and to working closely with them to develop a Sport Institute to rival the best in the world."

Professor Lord Smith of Clifton, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ulster, said

"The establishment of the UKSI-NI is a wonderful development for all those interested in the pursuit of sporting excellence. The Institute will enable us here in Northern Ireland, to offer our finest sportsmen and sportswomen world class sports training and coaching facilities, helping them to be the best that they can be - without having to leave the Province, as they have had to do in the past.

"The new Institute is a demonstration of the University's commitment to the community in Northern Ireland, and to the pursuit of academic and sporting excellence. With our partners, the Sport Council, we look forward to creating an Institute which will prove a rich source of inspiration and achievement for Northern Ircland's sports community."

The next steps in the development of the new Sports Institute include: the creation of the UKSI - NI Company; formal agreement between the UKSI-NI Company and UUJ; prioritising facility and service needs; creation of detailed business plans, including funding and the eventual roll-out of services and facilities to NI athletes.

Issued by Fleishman-Hillard Saunders, on behalf of the Northern Ireland Sports Council, and the University of Ulster Jordanstown.

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk