£3m announced for north Belfast community groups

A £3 million funding package aimed at developing communities in north Belfast to encourage dialogue and partnership has been announced by the NIO today.

Speaking during a visit to a north Belfast cross-community youth scheme run by the ‘Partnership for Community Transformation’, the Minister with responsibility for Community Relations, Des Browne, said dialogue remained the key ingredient in dealing with the long-term difficulties facing the area.

Mr Browne said: “The North Belfast Community Action Unit has initiated a number of projects to encourage communities to work together in partnership and address local issues.

"This particular project, with valuable input from local schools and churches, focuses on individual young people, helping them to recognise how violence begins and to learn how to resolve differences.”

The £3 million allocation for next year is designed to enable local people to develop the necessary skills to best represent their areas. However, the minister said that the fund had not yet been apportioned and so the local community will be encouraged to have an input into the planning process, "so that the new programme can be introduced as quickly as possible".

The proposal for a confidence-building programme was one of the main recommendations in the August report by the North Belfast Community Action Project, which was chaired by Rev John Dunlop.

Mr Browne also referred to the report of the independent arbitrators on aspects of community safety in Ardoyne.

He said: “I strongly believe that the way forward to a lasting solution at this interface is through community dialogue. Concerns about community safety can only be solved in the long term by both communities working together in an atmosphere of trust and confidence."

The Minister revealed that he had asked the North Belfast Community Action Unit to work with the Ardoyne and Upper Ardoyne communities on a programme to seek a basis for future progress.

Mr Brown also announced the construction of a fence and the planting of trees behind houses on Hesketh Road at the boundary of the Everton complex. This, he said, should help to allay community safety concerns in this area.

However, the minister ruled out the proposal a wall around houses at the corner of Ardoyne Road/Alliance Avenue and as it "has not found sufficient community consensus".

(GMcG)