North Belfast gets £1.25 million community cash - 9 December 2005

North Belfast is to receive an additional £1.25 million to develop the confidence of local communities and to tackle disadvantage, DSD Minister David Hanson MP said today.

The money will support the continuation of the work of Community Empowerment Partnerships which are raising the ability of local people to engage more effectively with government to improve the quality of life in their areas.

This is being achieved by a range of initiatives. These include education and skills programmes, community relations training, leadership development, health and wellbeing activities, environmental improvements and youth work such as sports, cultural awareness and personal development.

David Hanson said: "Community Empowerment Partnerships are making real differences to neighbourhoods across North Belfast. I believe that it is important for the momentum of their work to be sustained. I have therefore agreed to make £1.25 million available to extend funding for the capacity building programme until September 2006.

"The North Belfast Community Action Unit has now been operating for three years. I have appointed Dick Mackenzie, a former Deputy Secretary in the Department of the Environment who has a background in Planning and Urban and Community Development, to lead an evaluation of its work. He will consult widely with a range of stakeholders in this exercise. The evaluation will make recommendations on how the work of the Unit will be delivered in the future and how it can complement other Government strategies such as Neighbourhood Renewal."

NOTES TO EDITORS:

The North Belfast Community Action Unit was established in August 2002 following an independent report on social, economic and community problems in North Belfast. The Unit was originally set up and funded until March 2006 to:

• build community capacity to empower local people to address their needs and to improve community relations;
• build partnerships within and between North Belfast communities and statutory agencies;
• address issues at interface areas;
• develop a strategy for an integrated Government response to the problems of North Belfast; and
• re-develop the Crumlin Road Gaol site.

In 2005/06 Government funding of £2.5 million was provided to support community capacity building.

The Community Empowerment Partnerships have been funded for the past three years by the North Belfast Community Action Unit. Further information on the North Belfast Community Action Unit and the Community Empowerment Partnerships is available on the website www.northbelfastcommunityactionunit.org

Mr Dick Mackenzie is a retired Deputy Secretary from the DOE with a background in Planning and Urban and Community Development. Prior to his retirement he was the Joint Secretary of the North South Ministerial Council and during his career he was a member of the International Fund for Ireland Advisory Committee. He is currently a visiting Professor of Planning at the University of Ulster and is an honorary member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. He is also a Parliamentary Boundary Commissioner.

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