A new community hub offering health, welfare, housing and policing support will open this week at the St Patrick’s housing development in Ballymena.

Radius Housing has created the facility following tenant feedback, with the launch set for Thursday 13 August. The hub is located within the 135-home development on the former St Patrick’s Barracks site.

Regular drop-in clinics and advice services will be provided by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, the PSNI, Turning Point NI, Start360 and Radius Housing staff. The aim is to provide a safe, accessible base for services close to tenants’ homes.

Grainne King, Senior Head of Housing at Radius Housing, stated that the hub would ensure support staff are available on site and that partner bodies would offer regular clinics covering health, wellbeing and welfare matters.

The PSNI will use the facility to maintain a local presence, following joint work to reduce anti-social behaviour in the area. Officers are encouraging residents to meet them at the launch.

Family activities at the opening will include a Kidz Fun Farm, the PSNI Gaming Bus, face painting and balloon modelling.

The St Patrick’s development was completed over a year ago, providing 135 social and affordable homes. It forms part of the Housing for All Shared Housing Programme, supported by the Department for Communities and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, with a £15.5 million investment that includes a five-year Good Relations Plan.

Loma Wilson, Director of Communities at Radius Housing, noted that the new community was building in brand new homes and described the hub as an investment in safe shared communities, hoping it would ground the development over the coming year.

Tenants will be encouraged to help shape how the hub space is used and which services are prioritised going forward.