MYMY in Stormont talks to purchase Ardnabannon

MYMY in Stormont talks to purchase Ardnabannon

9 December 2020

TALKS were held with a senior Stormont minister yesterday in a bid to ensure that a proposal by a local charity to purchase the former Ardnabannon outdoor pursuits centre is not derailed by the Education Authority.

Mind Yourself and Your Mate (MYMY) — currently based in Newcastle — is keen to secure the former outdoor pursuits centre near Castlewellan which was closed by education chiefs in 2018 as part of controversial cost-cutting proposals.

The 100-bed Ardnabannon facility was one of a number of outdoor residential centres in Northern Ireland to close following a rationalisation review.

MYMY is a counselling organisation with extensive experience in suicide prevention and intervention which was formed 12 years ago by a number of bereaved family members and volunteers.

The charity, which does not receive any government funding and relies solely on community donations, had an application to buy the Ardnabannon facility initially accepted by the Education Authority (EA) following discussions with the Department for Education, subject to confirmation that MYMY had the funds to complete the sale.

The charity was working to secure funding and a business plan to pave the way for the acquisition of the iconic building and had hoped to have the finance in place by October next year ahead of completing the purchase in March 2022.

However, Stormont education minister Peter Weir has ruled that given the current economic circumstances there is no certainty that the MYMY’s business case would be approved or that funding would “actually materialise” to underpin the charity’s bid.

In a letter to Newry, Mourne and Down councillors, Mr Weir said that in these circumstances, the EA would be left with a depreciating asset that it still owns a year further on.

The education minister revealed that the EA is spending almost £44,000 a year on rates for the vacant Ardnabannon and that as some of the buildings at the sprawling site enjoy protected status, maintenance costs may also be incurred, alongside the risk of further damage caused by the weather or vandalism.

“My department is operating under a constrained capital budget and to supplement this, income from the disposal of surplus assets is reinvested in the education estate to improve facilities for pupils,” Mr Weir’s letter continues.

He said in these circumstances he is content that Ardnabannon should be disposed of on the open market to realise the best return, insisting that putting the complex up for sale does not mean that a purchase is imminent as it will depend on market interest.

Mr Weir added: “Should MYMY be in a position to confirm availability of funding ahead of any future sale, the Department would consider their offer in the round with others that come forward.”

At Monday night’s meeting of Newry, Mourne and Down Council it was confirmed that charity officials have met with Stormont finance minister Conor Murphy with MYMY representatives due to meet communities minister Caral Ní Chuilín yesterday.

Local politicians say that they are keen to see the former outdoor education centre to be redeveloped for community use.

Cllr Andrew McMurray paid tribute to his colleagues for backing MYMY’s bid and hopes there is “still scope for manoeuvre” as far as the interested parties are concerned.

“I pay tribute to all councillors calling for this property to be handed back to the community in some shape or form,” he added.

Cllr Roísín Howell highlighted MYMY’s “absolutely fantastic work” across the district and said it’s really disappointing that the charity is not being given an opportunity to raise the funds and that it’s business case was not looked at.

She said Sinn Fein had facilitated the meeting with Mr Murphy and yesterday’s meeting with Ms Ni Cuhiulín.

Cllr Howell added: “This is a fantastic building and MYMY does great work. The decision by Mr Weir is totally unreasonable and needs to be looked at again.”

Cllr Hugh Gallagher said he was disappointed with the content in the education minister’s letter, describing the Ardnabannon centre as a vital part of the community.

He added: “If this building was to be utilised it could provide a fantastic package for the local and wider community as it offers so much scope.”