DSD gives helping hand to north Belfast Women's Group

The North Belfast Women’s Initiative has received a cash boost of almost £13,000 from the Department for Social Development’s (DSD’s) Belfast Regeneration Office.

The Neighbourhood Renewal funding will help to support two key posts and allow the organisation to sustain existing services and develop the range of programmes available to women in the Glenbryn, Wheatfield and Ballysillan areas of the city. These range from alternative therapies, cookery classes and keep fit through to leadership, community development and suicide intervention.

Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie said: "The North Belfast Women’s Initiative provides an invaluable range of services to women in the north of the city and the funding my Department has provided recognises the excellent work they do.

“The availability of such a wide array of classes and programmes provides local women with the opportunity to develop their skills, confidence and self-esteem. I am particularly impressed by their efforts to encourage women from ethnic minorities to become involved in activities to help them integrate into the community and by their annual health week which is open to all men, women and children in the community.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. The North Belfast Women’s Initiative and Support Group were set up in 2001. They are based at 1a Glenbryn Park, Belfast.

2. 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.

3. 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.

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