Mount Merrion
SIF provided funding of over £141,000 for an upgrade and refurbishment of the church hall to operate as a community hub with enhanced service provision including childcare, support for vulnerable or elderly, financial management and healthy eating support.
Project Name: | Mount Merrion |
|---|---|
Zone: | Belfast East |
Category: | Capital |
Social Investment Fund Outcome: | Increasing Community Services |
Status: | Operational – Construction Complete |
Funding awarded: | £141,820 |
About the Project
The Mount Merrion project was one element of the Increasing Community Services cluster project which sought to increase community provision in areas of deprivation in the SIF Belfast East zone. The project involved the refurbishment and upgrade works to Mount Merrion Parish Church including upgrading of kitchen and toilet facilities to enable greater community use and provision of a play area, comprising a buccaneer play ship for children and associated protective fencing.
The capital works completed will allow Mount Merrion Parish Church to increase its invaluable existing community and family support services including childcare, support and activities for the elderly, assistance with financial management, establishment of breakfast and afterschool clubs and healthy eating support which play a key role in tackling issues linked to deprivation in the Cregagh estate and the wider SIF Belfast East Zone.
Progress to date
The Mount Merrion Project has completed construction and is operational. The new upgraded facilities and play area has established a valuable community asset with enhanced service provision to all residents in the local area and wider SIF Belfast East Zone.
Impacts
Monitoring and evaluation of all Social Investment Fund projects is carried out using “Outcomes Based Accountability” (OBA). Where SIF has funded capital works, the project provides quarterly “post-capital” data for a period of 3 years which details the positive impacts enabled by the capital works undertaken. The final capital infographic below highlights some of the key impacts of the project to date. The Mount Merrion project is in the early stages of post capital OBA returns and OBA data collection is ongoing for the final post capital infographic.
