Londonderry Regeneration Initiative

Job Sector Support Programme

The Job Sector Support Programme, sponsored by the Local Enterprise Development Unit received funding from the Londonderry Initiative to encourage established businesses in Londonderry to recruit personnel from the most disadvantaged areas of the City. The financial support also enabled employers to provide a longer lead in time for long term unemployed people and helped to encourage small and medium sized firms to remain within the most disadvantaged areas.

Londonderry Initiative funding through the Department of Education to Homework Centres at St Cecilia's High School, in the Creggan area, and Clondermot High School in the Waterside. The funding provided supervised study and homework facilities for pupils in years 8 to 12 studying for external examinations, particularly young people whose home environment was not conducive to study. The Centres have increased the learning opportunities by providing a venue close to home for voluntary participation in project and teamwork outside school hours.

The Art Therapy programme, which was part funded by the Londonderry Initiative, provided help and healing, through the medium of art, for children who were traumatised as a result of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. The programme assisted young people from a variety of backgrounds across the City and also provided training and support for parents and carers as well as for community organisations involved in child development issues.

The Women's Centre received Londonderry Initiative funding towards running costs. The Centre provides information and advice on a wide range of activities affecting women and children in the City in addition to organising and running relevant training and health awareness courses. The empowerment and enablement of local women is a key aim of the Women's Centre and this is achieved by providing premises where they can meet, learn and support each other in devising common strategies for their own advancement.

The Detached Youth Programme is based at four locations in the City. The programme received financial support from the Londonderry Initiative to help address the needs of young people who are not normally attracted to mainstream youth provision by engaging them in cross community contact schemes. The potential of the young people involved in the programme was maximised to effect change in society by introducing the concept of peer panels which focused on specific problems within their own community. The programme also assisted the process of reconciliation between communities in the City through the implementation of programmes that bring young people together to share activities and to discuss and debate common problems.

The Northlands Centre received Londonderry Initiative funding towards the costs of a Community Drugs Education Programme. The programme targeted a number of areas across the City including Strathfoyle, Currynierin, Newbuildings and Creggan and the involved making referrals for treatment, training parents and helping the community to address specific issues such as solvent abuse. The number of people who have contacted the Northlands Centre for advice can measure the success of the programme.