Raglan Community Development and Renovation Society

The Harryville area of Ballymena was once known as a thriving industrial area with mills and shoe factories, a sense of purpose and an open, welcoming community renowned for its kindness and friendliness. For 200 years, The Raglan Bar was a centre for this community until it was virtually destroyed in 1976 by a bomb, following the blast the Raglan was rebuilt and once again took its place at the heart of the community.

By the late 80’s, early 90’s the business of the Raglan went into decline which eventually led to it closure as a Public House in 2000.

These intervening years were also very difficult for the area as a whole and Harryville is now an area of multiple deprivation with the loss of traditional industry, a decline in job opportunities, a moving population and a decreasing sense of community empowerment.

But things are changing. A portion of the Raglan building has already been renovated, led by local people, and in 2015 the Slemish n tha Braid Credit Union moved into the ground floor. While this has already had a major positive effect on Harryville, a major portion of the building has huge potential but is yet to be developed.

In early 2016, the same local people, plus a little help from others who have come on board, formed a community co-operative - the Raglan Community Development & Renovation Society – to benefit the community by enhancing and creating social capital in the local area. The renovation of the Raglan building will cost more than £1 million, and the public, our principal stakeholders, have the chance to buy Community Shares to demonstrate community confidence to lever in grant and loan funders.