Radius Housing will officially launch a new community Hub at St Patrick’s in Ballymena on 13 August 2026.
Based in the heart of the St Patrick’s development, the Hub will provide a safe and accessible venue for a range of community services and advice clinics over the coming year.
Radius Housing’s St Patrick’s development, which has completely regenerated the old abandoned Barracks site in the town, has 135 new homes which include social housing and modern affordable homes.
Radius’ Housing and Communities teams worked together and sought tenant feedback to establish this much-needed support hub space within the development.
Planned drop-in sessions and clinics will include support from the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, Radius Housing staff, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), Turning Point NI and Start360, among others.
Grainne King, Senior Head of Housing at Radius Housing, said:
‘The Hub is a dedicated office space within the St Patrick’s development to ensure that support services and staff are available right on site for the tenants. Radius Housing staff and other partner bodies will be offering support and regular drop in clinics. We’re bringing a wealth of advice and support from a range of expert organisations directly to the tenants of St Patrick’s to support with health, wellbeing and welfare matters.’
At the launch, tenants are being invited to get involved and use the opportunity to discuss plans for the Hub space. One of those partners is the PSNI, who have been working with Radius Housing and other community partners to reduce and deter anti-social behaviour locally. The police are encouraging residents to come along and engage with them at the launch and they will continue to have a presence in the area and through the Hub.
The event will also include family activities, including Kidz Fun Farm, the PSNI Gaming Bus, face painting and balloon modelling.
Loma Wilson, Director of Communities at Radius Housing, said:
‘It’s just over a year since the St Patrick’s development was completed and it’s very rewarding to see hundreds of people building a new community there in brand new homes. This Hub is an investment in building safe shared communities for all our tenants. We hope it will be a space that will help to support the community and ground the development over the coming year.’
The St Patrick’s Hub is supported by the Department for Communities and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive’s Housing for All Shared Housing Programme. The programme originated in the Northern Ireland Executive’s Together: Building a United Community strategy, which reflects the Executive’s commitment to improving community relations and continuing the journey towards a more united and shared society. A total of £15.5 million will be invested in the St Patrick’s shared housing development and its associated five-year Good Relations Plan.
Radius Housing Association currently has 14 shared housing developments across Northern Ireland. St Patrick’s Good Relations Plan includes bridging events delivered to the wider community to support good relations outcomes in areas including health and wellbeing, education, training and employment.