Ladies and Gentlemen,

Firstly, thanks to Nigel Kinnaird for inviting me to speak at this, the sixth Annual General Meeting of the Colin Neighbourhood Partnership.  It is a great pleasure for me as Minister for Social Development to contribute to this agenda.

Colin Neighbourhood Partnership is a name which often occurs when successful community structures are being discussed.  On many occasions it has been held up as an example of best practice and I look forward to seeing this evening’s presentation of the Partnership’s work over the past twelve months.

I am greatly encouraged by the commitment to partnership and to the regeneration of the wider area.

Here we have an example of local residents, political representatives, community and voluntary sector workers and private businesses working together and working with Government towards the shared goal of improving the Colin neighbourhood.  This is an excellent illustration of what can be achieved through partnership working, as we need to draw together all our strengths if we are to break the cycle of disadvantage.

The Partnership has a reputation for getting things done and a patent measure of this achievement is the success of your social economy projects; Colin Care and Colin Enviro Care.  

It is exciting to listen to Peter’s enthusiasm for the Colin Bridge Company and the proposed expansion for social economy projects in the area.

I am already aware that the Colin Care project now employs 30 people from this area and generates around £300,000 income a year.  This demonstrates how a small contribution from public funding can kick start a project that can lead to self sustaining community based employment. It is an exemplar of how social economy projects can provide sustainable socio economic gains, improving the life situation and the chances of disadvantaged people, enabling social cohesion and ongoing support.  

The Partnership and its projects have been a catalyst in the improvement of experiences and outcomes for children, young people and their families in Colin and are vital to informing Government where best to target resources.  This has been evidenced through the Partnership’s work which has helped people in the wider Colin area by:

I am encouraged by this work and the significant impact it has had on the community and I commend the hard work involved, not only by the community workers, but the significant numbers of volunteers, particularly those 300 people who give their time and skills to work in or are affiliated to the 6 sub-groups and 14 task-groups linked to the Partnership.  These groups have provided a voice for local people enabling local issues and concerns to be prioritised and addressed.

I believe the impressive record of the Colin Neighbourhood Partnership has also been achieved because of the leadership shown by its Board.  It is in the commitment of individuals, whether they represent community or statutory organisations, who agree to work together for the common good that the seeds of the Partnership’s success can be found.

It is also my view that it is here, at the community level, that it is critical for Government to work in partnership with other stakeholders in order to achieve lasting change that addresses the root causes of poverty and alienation.

These are exciting times for the Colin area, as soon we will see the commencement of the £3.1 million Colin Gateway scheme.  This project will deliver a significant environmental improvement along the Stewartstown Road, creating an impressive gateway to the Colin area and it represents the first incremental stage in the overall social, economic, environmental and community development of the area, which will eventually lead to the creation of a town centre for the Colin area.

In conclusion, once again I am delighted to have participated in this event and thank all at the Colin Neighbourhood Partnership for inviting me to speak to you this evening and express my sincere congratulations to all of those who have worked so hard, over the past twelve months, to make Colin an even better place.  

I know that all of you will continue to work toward making the Colin area a great success.