Shaping our Downpatrick Future – the way forward for the County town of Down.
A new marketing campaign for Downpatrick has launched with the theme ‘Shaping our Downpatrick future’.
The campaign, featuring local business owners and well-known attractions in the area, goes ‘live’ this week and includes outdoor advertising, print advertising and a social media and digital campaign.
The focus of the campaign is to promote the regeneration potential of Downpatrick.
Lead by Newry Mourne and Down District Council, and supported by the Department for Communities, the campaign will seek to raise awareness of the potential of regeneration initiatives to shape the future of Downpatrick, to support the transformation of spaces, to invest in talent and drive forward local opportunities.
Local businesses, including Baby Belle Boutique, Denvir’s Coaching Inn, Finnebrogue Woods, Lowden Guitars, Oakley Fayre, Plus 2 Print and Rita’s Occasion Wear, star in the campaign video, which conveys the huge sense of pride, ambition and opportunity that lies within Downpatrick town.
The regeneration of a 1.8-acre site on Irish Street by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and the Department for Communities is a key component of this regeneration strategy, representing a significant opportunity for realising the opportunities and aspirations of local businesses, investors and communities.
Chairperson of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, Cllr. Laura Devlin said: “The redevelopment of the Irish Street site in Downpatrick will be extremely beneficial to the entire community.
“It has the potential to act as a catalyst in boosting the local economy, delivering new amenities and an enhanced public realm for everyone in the area to enjoy,”
“As a Council we recognise that the regeneration of our City, towns and villages will support our economy to rebalance and relaunch.
“It is vitally important that we promote our future ambition, the opportunities we hold for the transformation of spaces and the development of talent and energy for Downpatrick.”
The initial consultation period has just closed for the 1.8-acre site in Irish Street and the regeneration project continues to move forward towards the overall goal of creating a multi-purpose, accessible and inclusive facility in the heart of Downpatrick.
The Department of Communities awarded the Council grant funding for the marketing campaign as part of the Department’s wider commitment to the regeneration of Downpatrick.
Communities Minister Carál Ní Chuilín said: “I am delighted to support the Shaping our Future Marketing campaign for Downpatrick. It has never been more important to progress initiatives that can regenerate our urban centres.
“This marketing campaign highlights all that is special about Downpatrick, its history, culture, community spirit and scenery.
“However, it recognises the towns future ambition and opportunities, and we will continue to work closely with the Council and our stakeholders to create and support opportunities that deliver against these ambitions.”
Downpatrick area councillor Dermot Curran said: “I welcome the new marketing campaign and hoep that it helps to create jobs and prosperity for locl people and businesses. However, I would stress that we do need to sort our the roads infrastructure in Downpatrick.
“We will only get one go at this and we must get it right. I will be writing to the Infrastructure Minister this week to ask her send down her officials to examine the roads situation here as the town is in a poor state with traffic jamming up.”
To follow the journey of the regeneration of Downpatrick, see:
