Young people helping bring Ulster’s gliding heritage back to life at Magilligan
Ulster Gliding Centre Open Day – Saturday 29 August 2026
On Saturday 29 August 2026, the Ulster Gliding Centre opened its doors to the public and local community, celebrating the club’s long association with gliding in the Magilligan area and showcasing the work of young people who had been helping to preserve this heritage for future generations.
The free open day gave visitors the opportunity to explore the club, take tours of the aircraft hangar, learn about the history of gliding in the area, enjoy a model aircraft display and see the progress made through the Soaring Futures youth heritage project.
At the heart of the event was the work of 10 young people aged 15-18, who have been meeting regularly at the Ulster Gliding Centre to learn traditional practical skills while helping to restore a historic wooden glider.
Soaring Futures is a partnership project between the Ulster Gliding Centre and the Binevenagh & Coastal Lowlands Landscape Partnership Scheme, supported by funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The project brought together a group of young people who worked alongside experienced club volunteers, developing practical skills in woodwork, metalwork, restoration and conservation.
The group met monthly at the club, where dedicated volunteers shared their knowledge and experience and supported the young people as they progressed in restoring the heritage glider.
At the beginning of the project, the group also took part in a residential at Magilligan Field Centre, which helped the young people build confidence, develop as a team and learn more about the heritage at the heart of the project.
Throughout the project, participants developed practical, transferable skills while gaining an understanding of the importance of preserving local heritage.
Gliding has a long and distinctive history in the Magilligan area. The Ulster Gliding Centre’s own history records gliding activity at Benone Strand and Magilligan as far back as 1932, when the club experimented with different launch sites and achieved ridge soaring along the coast. Gliding activity continued at Benone Strand after the Second World War.
The Soaring Futures project provides a way for young people to connect directly with this history. Rather than simply learning about the area’s gliding heritage, they gain hands-on experience in restoring and caring for a historic glider.
The open day allowed the wider community to see the progress made and meet some of the young people and volunteers who had been involved.
Gemma Reid, Northern Ireland Committee Member at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:
“This has been an excellent event, bringing people together to share the area’s heritage and discover more about gliding. Soaring Futures is a remarkable project centred on skills sharing between young people and established members of the Gliding Centre. Restoring a glider together and having the opportunity to take to the skies in it shows how heritage is empowering the next generation – building confidence, skills and connecting with the heritage that matters to them.
Thanks to National Lottery players, we’re supporting ambitious projects that care for and value heritage and give young people opportunities to create lasting impact in their communities.”
Melissa McQuitty, Outdoor Recreation Project Officer with the Binevenagh & Coastal Lowlands Landscape Partnership Scheme, said:
“It has been fantastic to work with such an inspiring and motivated group of young people, as well as the members and volunteers of the Ulster Gliding Centre.
“The dedication of the club volunteers was a key part of making this project possible. They generously gave their time to share their knowledge and practical skills with young people, helping them understand the importance of preserving our local heritage.
“Soaring Futures was about much more than restoring a glider. It was about connecting young people with the history of their local area, giving them the opportunity to develop new skills and confidence, and helping to ensure that this heritage continued to be valued by future generations.”
The Soaring Futures project formed part of a wider programme of work that supported and improved outdoor recreation experiences across the Binevenagh area. This wider work also supported members of the gliding club in developing their flying skills and pilot qualifications.
The project was delivered through a collaboration between the Binevenagh & Coastal Lowlands Landscape Partnership Scheme and the Ulster Gliding Centre, with generous funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The Binevenagh & Coastal Lowlands Landscape Partnership Scheme is a seven-Day initiative funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and coordinated by the Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust, which is working to protect, celebrate and promote the distinctive landscapes, natural environment and heritage of the Binevenagh and coastal lowlands area.