Short Strand Community Centre
SIF provided funding of over £132,000 for the refurbishment of the Short Strand Community Centre to a fit for purpose state so that it can continue to provide local services. Access to services to the community is enhanced by making the building more welcoming to service users and fully accessible to those residents with disabilities.
Project Name: | Short Strand Community Centre |
|---|---|
Zone: | Belfast East |
Category: | Capital |
Social Investment Fund Outcome: | Increasing Community Services |
Status: | Operational – Construction Complete |
Funding awarded: | £132,845 |
About the Project
The project involved the capital refurbishment of the Short Strand Community Centre which was widely used for community activities, delivery of training and provision of childcare facilities. It was in a significant state of disrepair and required extensive works to bring the building up to a more modern fit for purpose standard and to comply with current health and safety standards. This has made the centre more welcoming to users and fully accessible to everyone in the local community encouraging social cohesion.
Progress to date
This project has completed and has been operational since October 2017. The works have enabled the continuation and expansion of vital centre activities including a playgroup, after-schools club, women's project, community café, IT and unemployment programmes, and training facilities to meet the needs of the local community. This will contribute to increased personal development and skills, family cohesion and social inclusion improving the lives of those living in the local community. The new facility has seen an increase in users and volunteers and 100% of users have reported satisfaction with the renovations at the centre.
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 Short Strand Community Centre project has completed the post capital OBA returns and the final capital and post capital infographics are attached below.
