The funding will provide a first class training environment for women in the Kilcooley area, together with an employment mentoring service. The project will include a menu of accredited training programmes to meet the needs of women who either want to return to work or progress onto further education or training.
Margaret Ritchie said: “It is important that women should be given the opportunity to educate themselves to their full potential. This project provides that opportunity. It will help increase the employability skills of women in Kilcooley and assist them to move into new jobs.”
The Minister acknowledged the role of the Kilcooley Women’s Education and Development Group and the Kilcooley Neighbourhood Partnership who had identified the need for the project. She said: “One of the key factors in successfully tackling deprivation and assisting regeneration is through a partnership approach involving the public, private and community sectors. I recognise the important role which community representatives have to play and I am committed to ensuring that local people have the capacity to contribute to the decision making process.”
The Kilcooley Women’s Centre welcomed the funding. The Centre Manager Allison Blaney said: “This funding will enable the Centre to continue to provide opportunities for those women in the area seeking to enhance their education qualifications and help it to provide much needed assistance to women wishing to access employment.”
The project is being developed by the Kilcooley Women’s Education and Development Group along with the Department for Social Development, as part of an overall project costing over £360,000.
Notes to editors
- The Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy 'People and Place' was published in June 2003 to close the gap between the quality of life for people in the most deprived neighbourhoods and the rest of society.
The Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy has four interlinking strategic objectives:
- Community Renewal - to develop confident communities that are able and committed to improving the quality of life in their areas.
- Economic Renewal - to develop economic activity in the most deprived neighbourhoods and connect them to the wider urban economy.
- Social Renewal - to improve social conditions for the people who live in the most deprived neighbourhoods through better co-ordinated public services and the creation of safer environments.
- Physical Renewal - to help create attractive, safe and sustainable environments in the most deprived neighbourhoods.
- Media enquiries to DSD Information Office on 028 9082 9078. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
