Funding approved for Mayo 'Teen Zone' plan with table tennis and music station

€100,000 funding has been approved for a Teen Zone at the Friary Grounds in Ballyhaunis. The Multi-Use Games Area will be upgraded and a dedicated space for teenagers and young adults will be created for meeting and socialising. The plans include an all-weather surface and low-energy lighting to support year-round use, plus sheltered seating, comfortable facilities, and an accessible layout. Facilities will include table tennis and a plug-in music station for connecting phones and playing music. The Ballyhaunis project is one of four funded under the Making Spaces for and with Teenagers Initiative, which requires local authority matched funding and development with Comhairle na nÓg. The proposal was developed following consultation with teenagers, young adults, community groups, and local residents.

"The project will see the Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) at the Friary Grounds upgraded, alongside the creation of a dedicated space for teenagers and young adults to meet and socialise. Plans for the area include the provision of an all-weather surface and low-energy lighting to allow year-round use, alongside sheltered seating, comfortable facilities and an accessible layout designed to ensure all young people can make use of the space."

"Facilities will include table tennis and a plug-in music station, allowing teenagers to connect their phones and play music through the system. The Ballyhaunis project was one of four in Ireland to receive funding under the 'Making Spaces for and with Teenagers Initiative'. Under the scheme, local authorities were invited to work with their local Comhairle na nÓg to develop proposals addressing the recreational needs of teenagers in their areas, with matched funding of 25pc required from councils."

"Minister of State Alan Dillon welcomed the announcement, saying the project would provide a safe recreational area for teenagers. "The new area will be located beside the historic Friary and long used as a community green space, the Friary Grounds are a central and well-loved part of Ballyhaunis. "The new Teen Zone will enhance this setting by offering a modern, thoughtfully designed area where young people can meet friends, socialise, and engage in unstructured play and recreation," he said."

""This investment ensures that teenagers in Ballyhaunis have a safe, welcoming and purpose-built space to call their own." The Ballyhaunis proposal was developed following consultation with teenagers, young adults, community groups and local residents."

Read at Irish Independent