Conway Mill in West Belfast won the award for “Best Use of Heritage in Regeneration” at the prestigious Regeneration and Renewal Awards which were held in London last week. The project repaired and restored the former flax spinning mill into a centre for social enterprise and community-led regeneration of the area.

The mill had fallen into neglect and suffered from vandalism before the regeneration project started in 1996. HLF’s grant award of almost £1million was used to protect and conserve this historical building, creating almost 30,000 sq ft of community and enterprise space, to ensure the future of this economic asset for the people of Belfast.

Head of HLF Northern Ireland, Paul Mullan, said: “It is wonderful for one of our projects, which has made such a huge difference locally, to be recognised and celebrated at a national level. This award is a real endorsement of the vital role our heritage plays in creating and sustaining a brighter, more prosperous future for us all and I congratulate everyone involved in making this fantastic project such a tremendous success.”