Ballyclare Comrades has recently celebrated 100 years as part of the Ballyclare Community, within the borough of Antrim and Newtownabbey. Home, since 1936, has been at Dixon Park, in the centre of town. The club has grown massively in the last few years with the creation of girls and boys academies accommodating over 500 junior players.Around 60 adult male players and 30 adult female players form the backbone of the senior teams. Dixon Park hastwo fully seated, covered stands, one combined seating and standing covered facility behind one goal and a covered standing facility behind the other goal. The capacity of the stadium is a testament to its allure, accommodating atotal of 3780 spectators. Among them, 3236 fans can stand, 538 can enjoy the comfort of seated areas, and sixdesignated bays are allocated for disabled spectators, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for all.
Recent investment in new LED floodlights and 3G synthetic pitch now enable the pitch facilities at Dixon Park to be used for approximately 35 hours per week. This enables the club to focus on the third element of its current strategic plan, replacing the existing single storey clubhouse with a new two-storey clubhouse having significantly increased floor space. It is envisaged that the bottom floor will house enhanced football team facilities whilst the top floor will having a flexible interior layout. providing the opportunity to have corporate activities for the clubcreate of a ‘health and wellbeing’ community hub that can serve as a catalyst for the holistic development of individuals within thecommunity. This envisioned hub could provide valuable support for the physical, social and psychological well-being of local residents. With easy access from local schools and commerce, together with the nearby transportation facilities, this facility could be a centerpiece feature in the regeneration of Ballyclare town centre.
In 2023, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council agreed to fund consultants to assess the economic justificationfor investment in such a facility. A case study with mixed method approach to data collection was undertaken.Qualitative research was used to conduct a variety of semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders from thefootball club, borough council and local area. All of the interviews were conducted via face-to-face meetings, phonecalls or Microsoft Teams. The semi structured interviews and focus group had predetermined themes and theinterviewer was able to guide the interviewee to explore different avenues depending on the interview, thisflexibility allowed participants the opportunity to address any necessary themes relating to this project.
The team also conducted quantitative research and questionnaires were created focusing on the key informationnecessary to extract the relevant information based on the objectives which were previously set out. The questionnaire contained a variety of closed and open questions and also asked the participant if they would bewilling to participate in any follow up conversations. Questionnaires were created using the online survey platformMicrosoft Forms and were distributed electronically by sharing a hyperlink, this allowed participants t0 answer themvia their phones, laptops or tablets. These were advertised by the borough council and the football club.
Public consultations were conducted at Dixon Park, having also been advertised through the council and the football club. During the consultations, participants were asked a serious of questions regarding their thoughts on thecurrent facilities at Dixon Park, what they believed the people of Ballyclare and the neighbouring community needed,what they would like to see at a potential community hub and more.
Participants commented on the growth of Ballyclare in recent years and the new housing estates that were beingbuilt locally and felt that the town needed investment to ensure there are facilities to suit the needs of the community.The feeling was that a community hub would have many health and wellbeing benefits and would provide moreopportunities for young people and older adults to socialise, instead of local bars or churches.
Consultees believed that there could be many social, economic and health benefits for Ballyclare if there was acommunity hub based at Dixon Park. The vast majority of people felt that Ballyclare, like many other areas, has beenhaving a lot of issues with mental health and wellbeing. Consultees were of the belief that a community hub wouldbenefit the community as it would be somewhere in town that would be able to host mental health awareness workshops, informational sessions and educational workshops.
Mental health and wellbeing for all age groups were the main themes coming out of the consultations. Subsequent engagement with mental health professionals indicated that the mix of indoor and outdoor facilities on the same site would be very attractive. Other professionals indicated the need for safe, controlled, outdoor space, particularly for both children and adults with varying levels of mobility and needs.
The club have therefore recently submitted a bid for funding to The Northern Ireland Football Fund. This fund supersedes the Sub Regional Stadia Program of £36.2M which was first muted in 2011 but never actually opened for applications. Initial design consultations estimate that a complete building project would cost in the region of £1.5M with the club required to contribute at least 5%, £75000 in this case.
