£415,000 boost for deprived areas

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/8433725.stm

Version 0 of 1.

A funding boost of £415,000 is to be shared among 17 communities in deprived areas of Northern Ireland.

Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie said the money was to be used to target small pockets of deprivation in otherwise relatively well-off areas.

It will be spent on salaries and running costs for staff in community centres.

"These small pockets of deprivation have problems which need to be tackled," Mrs Ritchie said.

"They deserve as much as the larger areas currently funded through my department's Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy.

"I want to close the gap between those who live in disadvantaged areas and those who do not and I am pleased therefore, to be able to continue providing that help by allocating additional funding up to 31 March 2011."