Ballymacash Share Offer: Invitation to Invest – Community-Owned Sports Academy Reveals Expansion Goal to Net £750,000!

Lennon Crilley, 10; Riley Cole, 10; Alex Cole, 7 and Ballymacash Rangers FC mascot Bertha at the launch of Ballymacash Sports Academy Community Shares Offer. Photograph: Columba O’Hare/ Newry.ie

With share packages starting at £50, Ballymacash Sports Academy (The Academy), hopes to net £750,000 during phase 2 of its development through a current share offer running until Monday 20 June 2022.

This development stage seeks to upgrade existing facilities by adding a 450 sq. metre Community Sports Hub. Once built the 2-storey building will include new changing rooms, a community hub and gym, a social enterprise internet café and as fitness and wellbeing zone boasting a cryo-spa facility.

Phase 1 was a massive success achieving full funding of £580,000 building scope with a full size floodlit 3G artificial grass pitch (AGP) pitch, 100-seat spectator stand, outdoor gym, new perimeter fencing and CCTV and a mini allotment & community garden.

With its heart in the community, The Academy was formed in 2017 by like-minded people driven by a shared passion of community, sport and of course Ballymacash Rangers FC, a familiar resident to many at The Bluebell Stadium.

Neil Woolsey, BSA Academy Manager, said, “As a Community Benefit Society, the objectives are core to all our activities. We exist to directly benefit the public and all stakeholders involved with The Academy. We have the great advantage of having an existing solid footing as we are backed by our 300 original founding members who purchased shares for Phase 1 when the society formed.” Adding, “This next phase at The Bluebell Sports Complex will place the same continued maintenance of the facility as the home ground of Ballymacash Rangers Football Club. This is where it all started.”

Tiziana O’Hara from Cooperative Alternatives said, “Ballymacash Sports Academy are doing great things for the local community. We have supported them from the initial concept and are impressed at how they have developed their offering to the local community. We are delighted to support them towards their next goal as they raise the necessary capital for continued growth. This successful initiative proves that there is a wide interest for such projects that bring ownership and democratic participation back to the heart of commerce and sport.“

The share offer opened on Monday 16 May 2022 and will close on Monday 20 June 2022.

For further information on the share offer please visit ballymacashsportsacademy.org or CLICK below to purchase shares at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/community-hub-project-phase-2-2022