Creating Cohesive Community Project developed out of a Belfast City Council’s PEACE III Strategic Grants Programme to improve relations across communities. It is a partnership between LORAG and SBRT and is designed to address specific needs identified within the diverse communities of the Lower Ormeau and Botanic areas of South Belfast.
LORAG has taken the lead on Creating Cohesive Community Project to address these growing needs and develop an integrated approach to cohesion across sectors including community, statutory, schools and emergency responses.
It’s been a very full year with a ‘whole community’ approach to supporting community cohesion ensuring that opportunities for meaningful engagement reach across the community from Sure Start to over 50’s groups.
Creating Cohesive Community Summary
Creating Cohesive Community Strategies
Here’s a snapshot of what’s been happening to date:
- We consulted with over 250 people in the community to identify key issues and challenges in relation to cohesion in the neighbourhood.
- In response to everything the community told us during these consultations, we developed 3 Key Strategies: Early Intervention and Engagement, Housing and Emergency Response.
- We’re working with key agencies including NIHE, Belfast City Council and PSNI to ensure these strategies are effective and making real differences in the community.
- Currently developing a network of Active Citizens to provide neighbourly support and alongside other agencies, respond to referrals from victims of Hate Crime.
- The monthly Strategic Networking Forum brings together up to 20 different organisations and individuals to pro-actively work together to support cohesion and challenge issues raised.
- An extensive Schools Training Programme engaged with 10 schools and over 500 students from P3 to year 10
- Community Training was delivered to over 250 community leaders, volunteers and young people
- ‘Small World Events’ provided fantastic opportunities for the diversity in the neighbourhood to be celebrated with up to 400 people participating.
- Creating Cohesive Community Project led the Lower Ormeau and Botanic (LOB) Consortium in delivering an extensive Positive Interventions Programme across the Lower Ormeau and Botanic areas with 1100 people participating.
- We link in with other community projects outside of Northern Ireland to ensure the project is exploring and sharing best practice.
For more information and how you can get involved, contact Ann Marie on 028 9031 2377 or creatingcohesivecommunity@lorag.org.