North Belfast Urban Village Area
North Belfast youths all set for 50km point-to-point challenge
Funded by the Urban Villages Initiative, young people from the North Belfast Urban Village area have been participating in a number of skills building sessions aimed at enhancing their self-confidence and aspirations, strengthening relationships across interfaces and increasing collaboration between youth projects.
North Belfast youth organisations have worked with 22 young people from the North Belfast Urban Village area and four youth workers preparing for a 50km outdoor challenge. The group has acquired skills in camp craft, outdoors cooking, canoeing, navigation skills and have enhanced their ability to lead an expedition. The 50km trek will see the group navigate through the Mournes with their youth workers and instructor in what is sure to be a demanding challenge.
The programme was developed by Ardoyne Youth Enterprise in response to a youth audit in the Ardoyne/Marrowbone area, where young people said their physical and mental health was suffering from a lack of recreational and outdoor activities.
The project will also involve 10 youth workers from across the North Belfast Urban Village taking part in a Hill and Moorland Leader Award later this month. The North Belfast youth organisations aims to continue building capacity among youth workers to facilitate similar projects in the future and to multiply opportunities for collaboration within the Urban Village area of Ardoyne, Marrowbone and Ballysillan.
2017/18 Community-Led Projects – North Belfast
The Urban Villages Initiative is supporting 15 community partner organisations to lead projects to support people who live in the North Belfast Urban Village area. Project lead organisations will work collaboratively and in partnership with other community and voluntary organisations to plan and deliver programmes across a number of themes.
Projects this year are outlined below:
| Project Description |
|---|
Project title: Learning Through leadership
Community Partner: Ballysillan Youth For Christ
Description: The programme entails establishing a group of up to 10 young people that will co create the project and build towards an international expedition to Ethiopia in August 2018. They will undertake CRED in youth work practice training (OCN Level 2); help establish a youth forum for the youth centre, fundraise and organise a community fun day. |
Project title: Holistic Intervention Programme
Community Partner: YEHA
Description: This project will offer youth practitioners working with young people an opportunity to build capacity to deliver effective youth services that support mental health and wellbeing of young people. This proposal includes mental health and well being training for youth workers and group work programmes aimed at promoting positive mental health for young people - Adventure learning, Take 5, Wilderness therapy and Therapeutic gardening. |
Project title: Communities Together For Change
Community Partner: North Belfast Women’s Initiative & Support Project (NBWISP)
Description: The project will be steered by NBWISP and Grace Womens Development group. It encompasses; Let it Grow - 6xOCN Accredited Gardening programmes for 6 community/school groups across the UV area; Families Together for Fun - 7 summer events for 52 young people and their parents/guardians; Meet the Neighbours - 3 events at various locations across the UV area (approx 200 attendees per event) aimed at people of all ages, during which people will be able to participate in gardening, arts & crafts, holistic therapies, fun activities and receive advice and information on a variety of health & well being issues. |
Project title: Youth & Practitioner Capacity Building
Community Partner: Ardoyne Youth Enterprises
Description: 24 young people aged 15-17 and 6 staff will participate in Mountain Walking, orienteering, cooking, canoeing and camp setup through a group challenge event.12 workers from across the Urban Village area will complete the Hill/Moorland Award to develop capacity to deliver outdoor pursuits activities. |
Project title: Communications Support and Storytelling Skills
Community Partner: Ardoyne Youth Enterprises
Description: Communications support for all Urban Villages in North Belfast to tell the story of the success of their programmes, providing input to the Urban Villages newsletter. It will include an empowerment event involving up to 150 attendees. |
Project title: Shared Learning Programme
Community Partner: North Belfast Alternatives
Description: The programme, which is nationally accredited, delivers GWC Level 2 qualification In Youth Work Practice and is a continuation of the previous NB Alternatives Urban Village project. It will involve up to 20 young people drawn from youth groups across the Urban Villages area, completing 9 modules, practice placements and supervision and a residential with team building events. |
Project title: Healthy Active Living for Families
Community Partner: Benview Community Centre
Description: The project will bring families together in a common effort to improve behaviour & healthy lifestyle choices, focusing on developmental stages of children aged 5 - 11yrs alongside parents/guardians and local Primary schools. The project will tackle the symptoms of developmental delay and give children a safe environment to learn and build upon skills to manage anger and frustration, explore feelings, and encourage exercise and healthy eating. The project anticipates working with parents/guardians to learn about the behaviours and how to manage them at home. |
Project title: Carezone Programme
Community Partner: YEHA
Description: This project aims to train local residents to consult with the local community on issues affecting their health and wellbeing and to present these findings to local community groups and statutory agencies. The CareZone initiative is a pilot project in response to a Future Search exercise on suicide and is being coordinated in the Sacred heart Parish area by the Lighthouse Organisation and YEHA. |
Project title: Retail/Care Assistant Employability Programme
Community Partner: Ardoyne Association
Description: This project is a local, partnership based employability training programme for up to 24 disadvantaged job seekers focusing on intense training and support to have access to job opportunities in the Retail and Care sectors. It is being run in partnership with the Upper Ardoyne Community Partnership. |
Project title: Restorative Village Training
Community Partner: Sunningdale Community Centre
Description: This project focuses on training to ensure that local volunteers are trained and supported to help deliver restorative practices at all levels of community life within the Ballysillan area. It entails recruiting and training 12 residents in Level 4 Diploma in Restorative Practices and Processes, building a network of community restorative volunteers and building partnerships with local agencies so that issues are resolved in a restorative manner. |
Project title: Schools Initiative
Community Partner: Carrs Glen PS & Ligoniel PS
Description: The project will quickly grow a network of committed schools who align with core Urban Villages principles and outcomes. The network will proactively seek opportunities to demonstrate a collective commitment to sharing, collaborating and partnership across traditional community sectors and interests. |
Project title: Soccer Project / Football in the Community
Community Partner: Ballysillan Swifts FC
Description: This project involves the provision of coaching qualifications, mental health and first aid training for volunteers and the provision of a cross community football tournament at Ballysillan Playing Fields. |
Project title: Parent Support Project
Community Partner: Wheatfield PS
Description: A collaborative project with Holycross Girls PS to deliver pastoral support and training courses for parents & carers. |
Project title: Parent Support Project
Community Partner: Holycross Girls PS
Description: A collaborative project with Wheatfield PS to deliver pastoral support and training courses for parents & carers. |
Project title: Stories Across the Interface
Community Partner: North Belfast Interface Network
Description: Project aimed at shaping area based thematic approaches to community development. Production of a digital archive and learning resource capturing the stories and experiences of local residents and their views, journeys and perceptions of living alongside and moving across interface areas. |
Capital Projects – North Belfast
The following capital project is now complete.
| Project Description |
|---|
Project title: Ballysillan Youth for Christ Youth Club
Community Partner: Ballysillan Youth for Christ Youth Club
Description: Fit out of new youth centre, now complete. |
New Captial Projects
The Urban Villages Team recently invited proposals for capital projects to inform the development of a pipeline of potential capital projects across Urban Village areas. These proposals were assessed for strategic fit with Urban Villages aims and outcomes. Proposed projects which met the minimum standard are being taken forward for further consideration and development. The Urban Villages team is currently working with organisations to develop these projects and associated business cases. More information on these projects can be provided upon request.