New Facilities Officially Open at Mid Ulster Sports Arena
Mid Ulster District Council has officially unveiled its upgraded sports facilities at Mid Ulster Sports Arena, following the completion of a major £3.6 million investment made possible through the Council’s Capital Investment Programme (£2.4m) and Sport NI's National Lottery funded Multi Facility Fund (£1.2m).
The new facilities were officially opened by the Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, Councillor Deirdre Varsani, and the Vice Chair of Sport NI, Stephen Reid, alongside invited guests, project partners and members of the local community.
The investment has transformed the arena with the addition of a new Multi Sports Hub that includes an eight-lane athletics track, a new 3G synthetic pitch, ballwall, walking trail, floodlighting, fencing and associated ancillary works, significantly enhancing sporting opportunities for people across Mid Ulster.
Sport NI's Multi Facility Fund, made possible thanks to National Lottery players, invests in high-quality multi-facility environments such as the one at MUSA, just outside Cookstown, to create more opportunities for community participation in sport and physical activity.
Designed by Mid Ulster-based McGurk Architects and delivered by contractor Tony Patterson Sportsground, the project complements the arena's existing high-quality facilities while providing modern, accessible infrastructure for athletics, football and wider community use.
Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, Councillor Deirdre Varsani, said:
"We are delighted to officially open these outstanding new facilities at Mid Ulster Sports Arena. This significant investment from the Council’s Capital Funding Programme and from Sport NI through the National Lottery funded Multi Facility Fund has created a first-class sporting venue that will benefit our residents, schools, sports clubs and community groups for many years to come. These inclusive facilities will encourage greater participation in athletics and football, helping to improve the physical and mental health and wellbeing of people across our district while supporting the development of future sporting talent."
Richard Archibald, Interim CEO, Sport NI said:
“Sport NI is proud to have invested over £1.2 million of National Lottery funding in the new facilities at Mid Ulster Sports Arena. We are extremely grateful to National Lottery players, whose support has made this investment possible. These state-of-the-art facilities will have a lasting impact on the local community, creating more opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to take part in sport and physical activity, improve their health and wellbeing, and strengthen connections through sport for many years to come.”
Throughout the development, Mid Ulster District Council worked closely with Sport NI, Disability Sport Northern Ireland and Mid Ulster Disability Forum to ensure the facilities were designed in accordance with the Inclusive Sports Facility Guidelines, creating an accessible environment for all users.
This project has been made possible thanks to National Lottery players, who raise more than £33 million for good causes every week.