Programmes

Ardaluin Regeneration Trust

Chairman’s Message

In 1970 the Ballygomartin Secondary School Fund was registered as a Charitable Trust to purchase the Ardaluin House and grounds in Newcastle, County Down, for the pupils of Ballygomartin Boys Secondary School. During 1973 the school merged with Glencairn Girls school to form Cairnmartin Community High School.

With the subsequent closure of the schools in the Ballygomartin area the Trustees continued to maintain Ardaluin House, without a school base, largely due to the energy and dedication of Mary Gillespie, who responded to the requests of youth groups for residential accommodation. Access to Ardaluin had been broadened from historically the Greater Shankill area of Belfast to offering a province wide residential resource to the widest range of voluntary youth and community groups, church organisations and school based groups.

To reflect this change the Trustees proceeded by means of a cy-prus scheme in 1997 to change the name of the Trust to the Ardaluin Trust. Throughout its 40 year history Ardaluin has afforded an opportunity for tens of   thousands of young people to enjoy with their teachers and leaders a memorable stay.

However, over the past few years Ardaluin House and site has experienced a lack of investment which was     beginning to impact upon the structural integrity and fabric of the House. If unaddressed the House could have suffered from an irreversible level of dilapidation that could have seriously challenged the future survival and sustainability for maintaining Ardaluin as a residential centre.

Belfast Activity Centre (BAC) was identified and approached by the Ardaluin Trust to explore the possibility of working collaboratively to assist with the capital redevelopment of Ardaluin House and site and to consider how existing and future groups and organisations could continue to use Ardaluin to meet their residential and camping needs.

BAC had an identified a corresponding need for a residential base and by supporting Ardaluin could provide a sustainable future income source and help to make better use of the available residential capacity at Ardaluin.

In addition, BAC presented a credible record of major capital developments including their Centre and the Belfast Adventure Learning Park (ALP) at Barnett’s Demesne in Belfast and the Shaw’s Bridge Boat House. Major developments that required and secured over £2.0m in grant funding.

Both the Ardaluin Trust and BAC recognised that Ardaluin House and grounds presented an exceptional opportunity to fuse a past heritage of working with young people to a shared vision for creating a dynamic future legacy for continuing generations of young people.  Retaining and redeveloping Ardaluin within the voluntary sector with the help and support of BAC, offered an unprecedented opportunity to rescue, restore and regenerate Ardaluin as an irreplaceable community based asset for future generations of young people.

I share the excitement and commitment of all our Trustees in looking forward to working with BAC and warmly welcome the help and support that BAC will offer during the months and years ahead. I would ask and encourage all our existing groups and organisations to give their continuing support to BAC as they take over the day to day administration of Ardaluin House.

I would also commend you all to provide your continuing support by joining our “Friends of Ardaluin” association. Details of this and how to get involved are given on the following page. With my best regards, 

Harry Tedford.

Creating a future legacy

Following the annual general meeting on 10th February 2011, the existing Trustees for the Ardaluin Trust passed a motion to unanimously accept the appointment of five new Trustees presented by Belfast Activity Centre (BAC) to support the future regeneration of Ardaluin House and site.

Mr Tom Scott,                               BAC Chair

Mr Jacky Fitzsimons,                       BAC Director/Trustee

Mr Ian Douglas,                             BAC Director/Trustee

Mr Harold Baird                               BAC Director/Trustee

Mr Stephen Dickson,                        BAC Chief Executive Officer

Over the next few months the Trustees will be meeting to review the governance and administrative arrangements for managing the Trust. This will include securing legal and charitable recognition for amending the existing Ardaluin Trust to the Ardaluin Regeneration Trust.

FRIENDS OF ARDALUIN

This year the Ardaluin Trust celebrates its 40th anniversary as a registered charity.

Throughout this period Ardaluin House has provided hospitality and accommodation for hundreds of schools, youth clubs, church groups and a diverse range of groups and organisations. Thousands of young people can testify to life challenging and in many instances life changing experiences at Ardaluin.

Many people have held a continuing interest towards Ardaluin and we would like to encourage and capture the spirit of this interest, loyalty and commitment towards Ardaluin.

Over the coming months we aim to launch a “friends of Ardaluin” association—past and present. If you value Ardaluin for your many and treasured past experiences and would like to share those experiences with today’s supporters and the generations of young people that continue to follow in your footsteps through the doors of Ardaluin, we would love to hear from you.

Share your personal stories and experiences at Ardaluin, and allow us to capture your memories. With your support we hope to create a photographic montage that can be displayed within Ardaluin House to capture the history and spirit of Ardaluin as a very special place for generations of young people growing up in Northern Ireland.

WILL EXISTING GROUPS AND ORGANISATIONS THAT USE ARDALUIN BE AFFECTED                             

Every effort will be made to continue to encourage and accommodate the needs of all existing groups and organisations that have historically used Ardaluin House and grounds.

Administratively all bookings will in future be managed by BAC. In the short term until a comprehensive health and safety assessment and risk evaluations have been completed, bookings will be provisionally held as enquiries and will be subject to final acceptance and confirmation following the outcome of the structural and safety assessments underway. It is hoped that the house and grounds can be reopened at the earliest opportunity and that redevelopment can be scheduled and completed with minimal disruption to planned bookings and activities although from time to time this may prove unavoidable.

BOOKINGS FOR 2011

All booking requests should now be presented through BAC

Tel.       028 90 600132

Email:   office.admin@belfastactivitycentre.com          

Presently pricing rates and terms and conditions are under review and whilst every effort will be made to retain competitive rates it may prove necessary to introduce revised charges for 2011.

For further information or to discuss any aspect of the governance or administrative changes please contact:

Trevor Kilpatrick, BAC Development Manager

Tel: 028 90 600132 

Email: trevor.kilpatrick@belfastactivitycentre.com

Over the coming months the Trustees will be introducing a slight name change to re-launch as the Ardaluin Regeneration Trust

Why change the name?

To strengthen and position the Trust for future capital assisted funding to support the restoration of the House and site and to facilitate expanding residential programmes and activity facilities for existing Ardaluin clients and future BAC core projects and longer term programmes.

A personal message from Stephen Dickson

Chief Executive Officer, Belfast Activity Centre

Ardaluin is a very special place, both the house and the grounds have a history which is full of memories along with great potential for the future. As anyone who has stayed their recently will understand there are major challenges which will have to be overcome to save this wonderful facility for the voluntary sector and turn it into a legacy for future generations.  

Belfast Activity Centre as a charity has had a history of taking on unique challenges and creating legacies. Northern Irelands first urban outdoor Centre in a derelict stable yard, Irelands only artificial cave, Belfast’s only high ropes course and the only water based traditional boat house on the Lagan all now serving over 20,000 participants a year through our wide ranging personal development programmes.  

When approached we could see the task was daunting and the future bleak without someone willing to take on the challenge. We can see the value of the history Ardaluin has with many groups from the Shankill, Greater Belfast and beyond. We hope to be able to revitalise this in the near future. We can see a future vision of Ardaluin which will take it to a different level creating a world class residential centre.

It’s not an easy task but then nothing worth doing was ever easy!  We look forward to working in partnership with the guardians of Ardaluin to create a new dynamic and energetic team who will realise the future vision of this great site.

If you have received this news letter it is because someone believes you have a history with or an interest in Ardaluin. If that is the case can I ask you to do three things for me?

1. Confirm your interest in the future of Ardaluin:      

Please confirm you have received this news sheet and that you do wish to be kept informed. Please also advise us of others who would like to be on the mailing.

2. Historical records:

Can you forward any facts and photo’s relating to Ardaluin to Trevor at BAC as we want to capture the past as a record for the future of Ardaluin.

3. Join Friends of Ardaluin:

We hope to create a group of friends of Ardaluin who will meet two or three times a year. They will be invited to key events to be kept up dated on progress. Friends will be asked to consider making a contribution to Ardaluin. This will not be in any way compulsory. Some suggestions would be £10 per year to help cover mailing costs, £50 group or family contribution and £100 life members. We would also encourage friends to consider legacy giving through mentioning Ardaluin in their wills or considering gift aiding donations. If you have skills or contacts that you can contribute we would also like to hear from you.

I was once told about the old proverb of “how to eat and elephant - one small bite at a time”.

As a team at BAC we have found the equivalent of £35,000 so far to keep Ardaluin in the hands of the voluntary sector and moving towards a brighter future.

Our next challenge is to find £150,000 for the initial renovation programme. I am confident I can find funding support for £75,000 ...

… can any of you help by raising a few £1’s towards the other £75,000?

I look forward to writing to you again within the next six months and updating you on the exciting developments that lie ahead.

Stephen Dickson

SUPPORTING the ARDALUIN REGENERATION TRUST

The present evolving plans to rescue, restore and regenerate Ardaluin to become Northern Ireland’s leading residential centre for outdoor experiential learning is an exciting and ambitious development project.

The capital development projections opposite indicate that over £1.5m will be required over the next three to five years to realise the vision set for Ardaluin.

Whilst particularly challenging in the present economic  climate, the Trustees are optimistic that the project can be achieved through attracting support across a wide spectrum of funders and sponsors including independent grant making Trusts and Foundations, Statutory funding and through private and corporate funding and sponsorship including gifts in kind for fixtures, fitting, equipment, furnishings and remedial works.

To date we have received £10,000 in kind from Consarc who have completed topographical surveys, preliminary assessments on the existing house and have prepared outline architectural plans and costings for the redevelopment of the House, the walled garden and the on-site forest area.

In addition Argento, Belfast has generously donated £20,000 to assist with preliminary costs and expenses to launch the Ardaluin Regeneration Trust.

Challenge 3 will involve the most immediate health and safety repairs to ensure that the House and site can continue to be offered as a residential opportunity for existing and new groups and organisations throughout the restoration phase. To date, thanks to generosity from an anonymous supporter, the boat house adjacent to the main house has new received a new roof, electrical supply and improved security in order to store and protect the range of equipment stored on site.

Over the coming months a shopping list of essential materials, equipment and remedial repairs will be launched to support challenges 3 and 4. Any private or corporate support as a donation or in kind will greatly assist the project and reduce the direct financial burden to help with immediate repairs and ensure that Ardaluin can keep the doors open to groups during the year ahead.

Please contact Trevor Kilpatrick at BAC for further information. 

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