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Cushendall community group working to tackle rural depopulation

BBC Neil McManusBBC
The Cushendall Innovation Centre includes small offices, workspaces and communal areas

A former County Antrim hurler hopes more young people will be encouraged to stay, live and work in the Glens of Antrim.

Neil McManus has settled in Cushendall but many others in their 20s and 30s have moved away.

He is part of a community organisation which is working to tackle the issue and reverse rural de-population.

The Grow The Glens group has turned a former police station into a centre where people can work remotely.

Neill McManus
Former hurler Neil McManus says there has been a big decline in the population in Cushendall

"The majority of people who I grew up playing hurling with in the Glens of Antrim are now living in Belfast or much further afield," said Mr McManus.

"We have noticed a huge decline in the intake to our schools and the numbers involved in our hurling club, our sailing club, our golf club, and we need to reverse that.

"Hopefully the Cushendall innovation centre will be step one in a bigger project to give people the opportunity to stay, live and really be part of this community."

The police station closed in 2015 before the site was bought over by the community.

The Grow The Glens community centre
The former police station in Cushendall has been transformed by Grow The Glens

Following refurbishment work, it now includes small offices, workspaces and communal areas for businesses, remote and hybrid workers.

Liam O'Hagan, the chair of Grow The Glens, said the group felt from "a work life balance point of view… it would be better for people who lived in the area if they could also work in the area".

"If you live in Cushendall and work in Belfast you spend a working week every month driving to and from work," he said.

"That's staggering."

Liam said the group hoped the centre would help to help address demographic changes in the glens.

Liam O'Hagan
Liam O'Hagan says the group was set up to improve employability

"There are fewer children of primary school age, there are fewer young people going forward in our hurling team for example.

"If that continues we'll be in a pretty difficult situation in years to come.

"Initially Grow The Glens was set up to create employment and improve employability and that is exactly what we're trying to do."

The innovation centre fully opens in September.

Grow The Glens is already planning a second phase of its project, which would lead to additional desk spaces and increased community use of the building.