Annual Report 2013

West Belfast Partnership Board

Contents• Page 2 Contents

• Page 3 Chair Report

• Page 4 & 5 Chief Executive Report

• Page 6 Our Mission

Page 7 Our Board

• Page 8 & 9 Education

• Page 10 & 11 A Year In Pictures

• Page 12 & 13 Integrated Services for Children and Young People

• Page 14 & 15 Economic Development

• Page 16 & 17 Health and Wellbeing

• Page 18 & 19 Environment

I am delighted to report on another

successful year for the West Belfast Partnership

Board. Throughout 2013 the Partnership continues to be at the centre of regeneration and renewal in the west of the city. We have continued to work towards bringing together a varied range of agencies, businesses, community groups, neighbourhood partnerships, individuals and our elected representatives to make west Belfast a better place to live, work, invest and visit.

During the year the WBPB has focused on our key priorities of promoting and developing better education, economic development, health and environmental outcomes. We also continued to deliver

on the vital Integrated Services for Children and Young People

programme which works to

improve the life opportunities for our children, young people and their families. ISCYP were recognised for their work in the West Belfast and Greater Shankill area with a nomination for an Aisling Award in the Positive Belfast category.

The Healthy Hearts in the West initiative celebrated its first birthday in February by hitting the roads with its message through a Healthy Hearts branded taxi. The programme aims to prevent Cardiovascular Disease and a wide range of work was carried out this year involving the people of west Belfast in a range of healthy activities in our schools, pharmacies, communities and workplaces.

Education continues to be a main priority for the WBPB and in the past year we have continued to provide major education programmes in west Belfast

including Easter Schools, Saturday Schools, Summer Transition Schools and the Aisling Bursaries. Within economic development, we continue to focus on creative industries with a Creative Industries Conference held in the Conway Mill in March and the launch of a west Belfast Investment Prospectus in New York in June. The ever popular Environment Awards in October celebrated the commitment to the environment within the west Belfast community.

I would like to extend my thanks to my fellow board members and the Partnership working groups whose commitment and passion has steered the WBPB this past year.

A sincere thank you goes to the WBPB team led by Chief

Executive, Geraldine McAteer for their hard work and dedication

throughout the year. Finally I offer my thanks to our funders for their on-

going support.

I have been privileged to be associated with the work of the Partnership in all its challenges and successes. I commend this Annual Report as an accurate account of the essential work carried out by the West Belfast Partnership Board during 2013.

Gerry McConvilleChairperson

Releasing the potential of West Belfast

PAGE #3

ReportChair

It is my pleasure to present the West Belfast Partnership Board’s Annual Report for 2012-13. I am confident that the following pages will illustrate how we have advanced our core aims in the past year - involving those who live and work in west Belfast in driving forward the economic, social, physical and cultural regeneration of this part of the city and contributing to the development of Belfast as a whole.

The implementation of our Strategic and Operational Plan 2012-15 together with

a review of our corporate governance arrangements has brought a sharper focus to our work, heightened our effectiveness as a regeneration agency and strengthened our efforts at getting a better deal for west Belfast, its people and places.

Working in partnership with a truly stellar array of local people, business leaders, elected representatives, community organisations, statutory and public agencies, we have delivered programmes and projects - and helped shape policies - which have resulted in positive change in our community.

Education is at the heart of our regeneration agenda and in the past year we have developed a stronger relationship with the Department of Education which resulted in extra places

for children in our GCSE Easter School; the introduction of GCSE Saturday schools and increased places for children at our Transition school in August - which eased the way of pupils moving from primary to secondary school. With support from DCAL, we introduced IPads to 3 primary schools in the Falls area

and with the continued support of local businesses and families, 33 local people secured Aisling Bursaries to enable them to pursue courses in higher and further education and training.

Tackling health inequalities is high on our agenda and our evaluation reports attest that in the past year the Healthy Hearts in the West programme has went from strength to strength - changing local hearts and minds on eating well, keeping physically and emotionally fit and being heart healthy. Funded by the

Public Health Agency and the Local Commissioning Group, this popular programme is delivered by a community-based partnership including schools, neighbourhood partnerships, healthy Living Centres, Belfast City Council, leisure centres, youth groups, community organisations, pharmacies and the

statutory health sector in west Belfast.

As recession continues to bite in west Belfast, we have worked to improve the life chances of children, young people and families with support from DE, Belfast Education and Library Board and the Public Health Agency. Through Integrated Services for Children and Young People, our family, youth, counselling and education support teams have provided services in the Falls, Upper Springfield, Andersonstown and Lenadoon areas in conjunction with grass roots community and statutory services and neighbourhood partnerships.

Chief Executive Report

Working in partnership with a truly stellar array of local people, business leaders, elected representatives, community organisations, statutory and public agencies

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All of this work would be impossible without the support of our funders and donors who continue to invest in making west Belfast a better place.A shining light in our calendar

is the Community Environmental awards in which we celebrate

the inspirational environmental and public art projects created by the young

and the not so young in West Belfast. We are hoping that this commitment to the environment will also be reflected in the Belfast Hills Urban Fringe Study which is now underway with support from NI Environmental Link.

Translating aspiration into reality is a difficult task and none more so than when tackling unemployment in west Belfast during the depths of a recession. Our economic development team, though depleted in the past year, have nonetheless produced an effective investment prospectus for west Belfast with funding from Invest NI. The West Belfast prospectus was launched in New York in June with the Commissioner for Small Business Services in New York, Robb Walsh, at a luncheon of the TOP 50 New York companies hosted by Belfast Media Group and the Irish Echo.

DCAL have backed the Partnership’s focus on developing the Creative Industries locally and throughout the city, resourcing a major Conference in March – “From Traditional to Creative Industries” and a Careers Day at Belfast Mets E3 Campus at which 600 local pupils met with companies from the Creative Industries and learned about career development pathways and opportunities.

Supporting neighbourhood renewal is central to the work of the Partnership. In the past year we have hosted the Neighbourhood Renewal Forum and have channelled financial resources to neighbourhood services in west Belfast through ISCYP and the Healthy Hearts Project. We are also proud of our city-wide work through Belfast Area Partnerships and in the past year have developed substantial cross city initiatives on creative industries and education.

There are a huge number of individuals, agencies, community groups, public bodies and politicians who contribute to the work of the West Belfast Partnership, not least of them our Chairman Gerry McConville, our relatively small but highly dedicated staff team and active Board members. I would like to wholeheartedly acknowledge the commitment made by them over the past year. All of this work would be impossible without the support of our funders and donors who continue to invest in making west Belfast a better place - in particular Belfast Regeneration Office who provide core funding to West Belfast Partnership. West Belfast has always faced major economic, social, physical and cultural challenges. We are confident this Annual Report 2012-13 reflects the efforts we have made in tackling those challenges and we look forward to continuing and expanding our efforts next year.

Geraldine McAteerChief Executive

Pictured at the New York New Belfast Conference in NYC are Paul Maskey MP,

Geraldine McAteer CEO of WBPB, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir Lord Mayor of Belfast and Robb Walsh

Commissioner for Small Business Services NYC.

I would like to wholeheartedly acknowledge the

commitment made by our small but highly

dedicated staff team over the

past year.

West Belfast Partnership Board accounts 2012-2013 are available upon request from Marie

McIlwee, Finance Officer at the West Belfast Partnership Board. Email: marie@wbpb.org

Mission Work“To involve people who live and work in west Belfast in generating social, economic, physical and cultural development and to ensure west Belfast makes a full contribution to and benefits equitably from, developments in the city as a whole.”

The West Belfast Partnership Board is a broad based social partnership with community, statutory, political and business members who are dedicated to the regeneration of west Belfast.

West Belfast Partnership Board’s vision is of a vibrant, confident, welcoming and prosperous community at ease with itself and its neighbours that has the resources, infrastructure, environment and services to grow the economy, enhance the cultural life and well-being, education, safety and security of its citizens and be a top class destination for visitors and investment.

The strategic priorities for the West Belfast Partnership flow from our vision and mission and are defined around the key development themes of social, community, economic and physical renewal.

Our Our

• Health and Well Being• Education• Aisling Bursaries• Integrated Services for Children & Young People

• Social Investment Fund• Neighbourhood renewal• Good relations • Communication

West Belfast Community

Physical Renewal

Community Renewal

Social Renewal

Economic Renewal

• Economic Development• Creative Industries • Investment Prospectus

• Housing, planning and environment

• Consultations on major physical developments

• Glen 10, Casement Pk, Barracks site

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West Belfast Partnership Board is governed by its Board which is comprised of Belfast City Councillors; representatives from the community and voluntary sector (including Neighbourhood Renewal Partnerships); business representatives and observer members from statutory and public bodies.

The Board has collective responsibility for the overall governance and strategic direction of WBPB, developing the vision, mission and values and the organisation’s strategic objectives.

2013 Board Members

Gerry McConville, Falls Community Council (Chairperson)Renee Crawford, Lenadoon Neighbourhood Partnership (Secretary)Claire Ferris, Work West (Treasurer)Councillor Caoimhin MacGiolla Mhin, Sinn FeinCouncillor Jim McVeigh, Sinn FeinCouncillor Matt Garrett, Sinn FeinCouncillor Steven Corr, Sinn FeinCouncillor Tim Attwood, SDLPDanny Power, Greater Falls Neighbourhood PartnershipAnnie Armstrong, Colin Neighbourhood PartnershipTish Holland, Upper Andersonstown Neighbourhood Partnership

Alec McRitchie, Bombardier AerospaceArlene Kee, South Eastern Education and Library BoardGeoff Beattie, Belfast Regeneration OfficeJim Donnelly, Upper Springfield Neighbourhood PartnershipMichael Culbert, Coiste na n-IarchimiGerry McGuinness Belfast Education and Library BoardSeamus O’Prey, ORTUSSean Mitchell, Mitchell Kane AssociatesSeiorse Caldwell, Belfast City CouncilTerry Murphy, Council for Catholic Maintained SchoolsTish Hegarty, Department for Employment and LearningTom Armstrong, Christian Brothers SchoolSusan McCrory, Falls Women’s Centre

Work BoardOur

West Belfast Partnership continues to place education and training at the heart of our regeneration programme. A key strategic priority is to work collaboratively with education and training stakeholders in west Belfast towards the goal that all children and young people in west Belfast will have the means to achieve their full potential at each stage of their development. Key objectives include promoting and implementing practical measures which will enhance and improve learning and training pathways relevant to the needs of children, young people and their parents and to foster and promote the highest quality standards in local education and training.

In the past year we have developed and sustained stronger relationships with the Department of Education, DCAL, CCMS, the West Belfast Area Learning Community, Belfast Area Partnerships, Full Service Community Network , the west Belfast Business Education Partnership and local community providers which have resulted in us successfully addressing our proposed Key Outcomes 2012-2015 which include reducing Education inequalities, raising educational attainment levels and improved access to

education and training.

Easter SchoolIn April, 210 students looked to

their future, by giving up their Easter holiday to participate in the annual

week long revision course. The Easter School is an innovative, out of hours, learning initiative which has been running since 1998 and aims

to boost the grade and pass rate of attending students. The programme held at St Mary’s University College ran from the 2nd until the 5th April and was taught by qualified and highly experienced teachers. The initiative is supported and promoted by the Department of Education and by the Heads of Mathematics at each of the ten schools those pupils attended. The Easter School encourages students to look at GCSE Maths as the foundation to a successful career.

This year has been exceptionally successful for the West Belfast Partnership Board as the Easter School model, with support from the Department of Education has been adopted by the other Belfast Partnership Areas; North,

South and East. The Department of Education also funded a series of Saturday schools for GCSE English and Maths with a total of 140 pupils from local schools attending. Saturday

schools will recommence (subject to funding) in late January 2014 and will run until exam time in June, in both English and Maths through the medium of Irish and English.

Summer Transition School Supported by the Department of Education the WBPB launched the Summer School Programme during August. The school was for pupils in the West Belfast constituency area, transferring from Primary to Post-Primary School and focused on developing the stem subjects of Science, Technology, English and Mathematics. The Summer School is designed to smooth the transition from primary to post-primary school and encourages learning by making it a fun

experience. The programme was delivered by fully qualified local teachers along with support staff through both the medium of Irish and English. The school ran from the 19th

Education

210 2,895 66% 100% students from

10 schools took part in 2013

students have participated in

the programme since 1998

pass rate of participants

achieving grade C or higher

of students would recommend

Easter School to a friend

“Easter School was a very good experience. I would recommend it to anyone struggling with maths. It helps a lot and hopefully has given me the confidence to get a pass in my exam” – Easter School student 2013

PAGE #9

until the 23rd August in St Mary’s University College, with five full days of activities, learning and trips out to W5, the Planetarium and the Giants Causeway. Three additional support days were delivered the following week in St Louise’s College with their new intake of year eight students.

Feedback from pupils, staff and parents was very positive; all recognised the need for such a programme and pupils communicated their enjoyment of the week. The West Belfast Partnership is committed to raising educational attainment in all sectors of

education in the local area and building on this success, the Partnership is confident that the Summer School will also become an annual event. We will be working closely with the Department of Education to evaluate and develop the Summer School for future years.

13th Aisling BursariesThe Aisling Bursaries is an education initiative which is delivered by the West Belfast Partnership Board. 2013 marked the 13th year of the Aisling Bursaries, which provide a valuable vehicle enabling students to access further and higher education and training.

Businesses, community enterprises and individuals contribute to the Bursary Fund and make a firm commitment to developing the skills of the local community and enhancing young people’s capacity to achieve their full potential. This year 33 students from West Belfast and Shankill were awarded either £1,000 or £500.

The West Belfast Partnership Board would like to sincerely thank the local businesses and families who sponsor the Aisling Bursaries:

• Belfast Educational Services • Northern Property Management NI• Belfast Media Group• Bombardier• Kennedy Centre• Andor Technology• Springvale Learning• Madden & Finucane Solicitors• WorkWest• Belfast Taxis• People 1st• Kevin Winters Solicitors• Michael Flanigan Solicitors• Andersonstown Social Club• Delta Print• Clonard Monastery • ORTUS• Ace Taxis• Whitemountain• Failte Restaurant • United Irish Appeal • The Peter & Nuala Vallely Aisling Bursary

sponsored by the Vallely family• Eoin McKernan Aisling Bursary• Michael Ferguson Aisling Bursary

sponsored by the Fergus family• Liam Higgins Memorial Aisling Bursary

sponsored by the The Roddy McCorley Society

• MacGioll Bursary sponsored by Ciaran Mackel

Summer Transition School

196 115 14 bothstudents

participated in the 5 day programme

students participated in the 3 day

programme at St Louise’s

14 teachers and 14 support staff

delivered the programme

The programme ran in both Irish

and English

13th Aisling Bursaries

33 £30,5000 £483,000

students received

bursaries in 2013

donated through bursaries to

students in 2013

Donated to 548 students

since 2000

Louise Brennan – Education Development Officer

“West Belfast Partnership are to be commended on organising the Aisling Bursaries every year. The businesses who contribute are an exemplar on how local employers support the community they trade in.” – West Belfast MP Paul Maskey

2013IN IMAGES

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Throughout 2013 West

Belfast Integrated

Services for Children & Young

People (ISCYP) has continued to work in

partnership with local community groups, schools

and statutory agencies to give the best possible services to local

families most in need and build the resilience of our children, young

people and their parents.

West Belfast ISCYP delivers a unique co-ordinated approach, designed to address the

vital need to integrate services working with, and impacting upon, the lives of children and

young people. In West Belfast, the local Partnership Board has led the process, implementing and

delivering the ISCYP Programme through the Greater Falls, Upper Springfield and Upper Falls. Our staff teams

work with multi-sector partners to ensure the development and delivery of faster and more effective services to families,

children and young people.

The underlying principal of everything we do and the services we deliver is tailored prevention and

early intervention at the point of need. A whole family approach is implemented; we cannot work with

children and young people without working with and supporting parents and the wider family unit. Our highly experienced and

qualified staff have expertise in a range of disciplines, including education and learning, family support, parenting, counselling, and child and youth supports. This expertise is brought together to provide comprehensive “full” family support plans which have the needs of children and young people as the central focus.

Integrated Services float their way to success at Feile 25During the Féile 25 in August, over 200 local children of all ages and abilities from West Belfast took part in an art project to design and paint the West Belfast ISCYP Float for the Féile Carnival Parade. The float design also included the Healthy Hearts in the West initiative and won ‘Best Float’ in the carnival parade competition and also ‘Best Newcomer’.

West Belfast & Greater Shankill ISCYP Nominated for Aisling AwardIn November the West Belfast and Greater Shankill ISCYP were nominated for an Aisling Award in the Positive Belfast category. Being shortlisted for a prestigious Aisling Award is a fitting recognition for the work carried out in the local community by the ISCYP team.

ISCYPIntegrated Services for Children and Young People

Improving the life opportunities for our

children, young people and families

Health & Well Being

FamilySupport

Education Ready

Health and wellbeing focus on

mental health

Youth Inclusion

Developement

CHILDREN

YOUNG PEOPLE

& FAMILIES

PAGE #13

Family Services

Youth Support

212

102

178

651

79

323

94.2%

261

parents receiving intense 1-1 support

young people receiving intense

1-1 support

families, including 447 children

children and young people including 447

children from families

parents attending parent support groups

young people engaged in issue

based group programmes

attendance rate

children and young people engaged

in social inclusion programmes

685 136 818 91% people, including 276

as part of Healthy Hearts in the West

children, young people and

parents accessing counselling services

counselling hours attendance rate

Health & Well Being

89%

97%

82%

98%

82%

91%

87%

93%

of children and young people feel

they have someone to turn to for sup-port when needed

feel less socially isolated

of children and young

people feel less overwhelmed

by their problems

feel more happy and confident in supporting their

families

of children and young people feel

less isolated

state that their life habits and those of their children have

improved

feel their social, emotional health

had improved

have ambition for self and family

Positive Outcomes for

Children & Young People

Positive Outcomes for

Parents & Families

433 103 196 98% young people accessing

Education Services, including 210 in GSCE

Easter School

young people completing

accredited Literacy and Numeracy programmes

children engaged in intensive Transition

support

attendance rate

Education Ready

Services

“Without the family support I received, my mental health would have got worse rapidly. I want to thank Integrated Services for helping me to be the mum I used to be.”

Angela Mervyn– Programme Manager

West Belfast Partnership continues to prioritise economic development as outlined in our strategic and operational plan 2012-15 and works to ensure that west Belfast undertakes the best possible approach to tackling the current recession and stimulating local economic growth. The Partnership leads this strategic objective through our Economic Development Subgroup – an effective development and advocacy group drawn from business, statutory agencies, further and higher education, training organisations, elected representatives and community based organisations.

Key strategic priorities of the Economic Development group are: • To champion west Belfast as an attractive place in which to

invest, trade and develop businesses. • To develop and support measures to tackle unemployment.

Economic Development

Traditional Trades in the Creative Industries ConferenceA key strategic objective of WBPB is to champion West Belfast as a Creative Industries hub. With support from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL), West Belfast Partnership - in conjunction with the Belfast Area Partnerships – hosted a conference in March 2013 entitled ‘Same Role, Different Part:

Traditional Trades in the Creative Industries’. Held at the Conway Mill, the conference took a strategic and practical look at the challenges and opportunities for local employment and career development within the growth sector of the creative industries. It focused on how people with traditional trades and skills could migrate to the creative industries, specifically the film and TV sector. It also explored how residents from neighbourhoods where unemployment is high might access employment and business pathways into the creative industries.

Creative Careers Opportunities in the West A direct response from the Creative Industries Conference was a Creative Careers event held in December 2013 to connect students with key players in the creative industries. Over 300 Year 11 students from ten West

Belfast Schools attended the careers event in the Belfast Met E3 Campus at Springvale. This innovative event was organised by the West Belfast Business Education Partnership (WBBEP) with the support of the WBPB and the Department of Culture and Leisure (DCAL).

Students met with local and national employers, took part in digital media workshops and a fun speed-networking event covering 13 different career areas within the creative sector. Industry experts from Creative Choices and NI Screen introduced students to exciting developments in the sector, the pathways into creative careers, local and

national opportunities in the industry and highlighted

the key skills that employers demand. Students also learnt how

skills developed through creative subjects at GCSE would be applied

in the world of work, giving them the chance to get ahead in a highly competitive

industry at a time when young people are struggling to enter the job market.

Recognising Potential – Investment Opportunities in West Belfast Prospectus With support from Invest NI, West Belfast Partnership commissioned an investment prospectus to promote West Belfast as an attractive place to invest and develop businesses. The brochure showcases the variety and breath of business opportunities in West Belfast, the growing sectors of tourism and creative industries that West Belfast is uniquely placed to exploit and advantages such as connectivity to the island of Ireland, EU and global markets. It also highlighted the proposed capital build projects that will be located in the west of the city, such as

Casement Park, as well as the physical resources that already exist here, in particular – the Royal Hospital, An Culturlann and the E3 Belfast Met Campus.

New York/ New Belfast Conference – promoting West BelfastWest Belfast Partnership’s Chief Executive had the opportunity to launch the West Belfast promotional brochure at a luncheon in June with the top 50 companies in New York, organised by the Belfast Media Group and including New York Commissioner for Small Businesses, Robb Walsh and Lord Mayor of Belfast, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir. Copies were presented to the NI Bureau from Washington and Irish Consulate in New York. There was a strong showing from west Belfast at the event with Mr Paul Maskey MP, Kevin Gamble of Féile An Phobail and Harry Connolly of Failté Feirste Thiar all having the opportunity to promote west Belfast as an inviting and attractive place to visit and work.

Seamus O’Prey Chair of the Economic Development Subcommittee

“The Creative Industries are a growing part of the economy both locally and globally, and an area where the North of Ireland continues to assert itself on a worldwide scale. From cutting edge technology to the creative aspects of traditional industries, there are a wide range of opportunities and careers in the sector.” Carál Ní Chuilín, Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure

“Our main aim is to ‘develop the future workforce of West Belfast’. We organise over 50 events each year and we firmly believe these events have a very positive impact on the young people of West Belfast. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the WBPB and DCAL for supporting us by financing the first Creative Careers event for West Belfast post-primary school students. We hope to run this event again in the near future.”Peter Murray, Chair of the West Belfast Business Education Partnership

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The Health and Well-being Subgroup of the West Belfast Partnership Board tackle health inequalities and work to ensure that health issues remain high on the community, voluntary, statutory and political agenda.

Healthy Hearts in the West The innovative ‘Healthy Hearts in the West: A Cardiovascular Strategy for West Belfast” was launched in January 2012 by

the West Belfast Partnership Board and partner organisations. The idea was to get the whole community mobilised behind the strategy in a bid to improve local heart health. Healthy Hearts aims to raise awareness of and promote prevention of cardiovascular disease and involves people of all ages in a range of healthy activities. Work carried out in the past year included programmes with workplaces, schools, Springvale Learning and pharmacies. Work has also been undertaken in Cardio- Rehabilitation.

Springvale Learning Springvale Learning is working in partnership with Healthy Hearts in the

West through the Fit 4 Work programme to identify and address issues affecting staff and students relating to ill health. In December 2012, 45 students took part in this initiative attending the Falls Leisure Centre on a weekly basis to take part in physical activity.

200 primary school children from Falls at Belfast City Hall Healthy Hearts in the West work directly with Belfast City Council through the Falls Leisure Centre to develop the physical activity and nutrition programme for primary school pupils. In December 2012, 240 students from the Falls area visited the City Hall where the Lord Mayor of

Belfast presented them with certificates of achievement for completing the physical and nutrition programme.

Healthy Hearts Messages hits the roadHealthy Hearts in the West celebrated it’s first birthday in style in February, when the head of the Public Healthy Agency (PHA) launched a branded taxi with the eye-catching Healthy Hearts logo.

Health and Wellbeing1,800 600

children surveyed about their eating habits by Healthy

Hearts over the past year

children provided with a Fitness and Nutrition Programme

“The Project has embedded the need for young people to change their lifestyle and get fit for work. We have been able to tackle a number of key heart health related topics through this programme. Through the direction of Healthy Hearts we have been able to access key health professionals directly so that we can direct it to our students. We will continue with this project and plans are underway to involve Springvale staff in the next phase. The staff in the Falls Leisure Centre have been terrific.” Julie Humphries from Springvale Learning

PAGE #17

Response to transforming your careWBPB has been actively involved in creating a response to “Transforming Your Care” by the Health and Social Care Board. A small group of community representatives and politicians have completed a response as part of an overall community health plan for West Belfast. For more information and a copy of the response please contact Rowan Davison Community Planning Officer Health at the Partnership by emailing rowan@wbpb.org

Upper West Belfast Mental Health Hub PilotThe WBPB has been involved in implementing a Mental Health Hub Pilot in Upper West Belfast. This pilot exercise focuses on patients who present common mental health conditions in the practice lists for five GP’s practices in Upper West Belfast. The hub consists of a GP, a clinical psychologist, a psychiatrist, trust

representatives and community and voluntary representatives all working in partnership to ensure the patient receives the most appropriate care on receipt of a GP referral. The hub meets on a weekly basis to discuss the referrals and they then contact the patient to explain the most appropriate services for the patient’s needs and subsequently the patient is referred to the appropriate services.

ReablementThe WBPB has worked with a number of organisations to assist with the roll out of the Reablement process under Transforming Your Care in West Belfast. Reablement aims to support older people who have been released from hospital, working with Trust staff to better meet their needs and linking them into community services. The Partnership will be appointing a community navigator to work with the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

Reablement Team.

Older People’s ServicesThe West Belfast Partnership Board has been actively involved in opening communication between the community organisations, the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and the Health and Social Care Board. The health committee hosted a workshop in Farset during November to look at the issues and priorities for older people living in west Belfast.

The WBPB will work with the organisations that took part in the workshop and complete a scoping exercise with a follow up event in early 2014.

Rowan DavisonCommunity Planning Officer for Health

Health and Wellbeing “Healthy Hearts is a new approach based on maximising community resources and over the past year this programme has highlighted the importance of physical activity and healthy nutrition for young people.” Dr Eddie Rooney, Chief Executive of the Public Health Agency

Healthy Hearts in the West Joint Winner in Belfast Healthy Cities 25th Anniversary Awards During December 2013, the inaugural Healthy Belfast awards established by Belfast Healthy Cities, were presented as part of the of the 25th anniversary celebrations of the organisation. Healthy Hearts in the West were awarded Joint Winners of the Promoting Health Equity category alongside the Traveller Health and Wellbeing Project run by the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.

Rowan Davidson, Community Planning Officer for Health praised the efforts of all those involved in the Healthy Hearts initiative:

“I am delighted that the work of all the individuals who have contributed to the success of Healthy Hearts over the past two years has been recognised by the Belfast Healthy Cities award of joint first place for promoting health equity.”

The Housing, Environment and Planning Subgroup aims to enable west Belfast to become an increasingly sustainable community, in which the quality of the natural and built environment is enjoyed by all. The group focuses on a number of priority areas including housing, environment, planning, transport, gateway projects and public art.

We are endeavouring to develop a collective voice for west Belfast on issues related to physical development and regeneration and we advocate and lobby to influence how policy is developed and implemented.

Engaging with government departments, local politicians, public and private sector organisations and the wider community, we promote collaboration, co-operation and cohesion in west Belfast, across the city and further afield to share information and practice.

Membership of the group is drawn from west Belfast’s Neighbourhood Partnerships along with representatives from other agencies who have an interest in the physical regeneration of the west of the city.

Rewarding Environmental Excellence The West Belfast Partnership Board held their eleventh annual Community Environment Awards on 8th October in the Falls Bowling Pavilion. The awards are held each year to celebrate those local community groups, organisations and networks who are working tirelessly to improve, protect and enhance the environment in west Belfast.

Awards were presented in three categories; Public Art, Education and Community.

• Public Art Award Winner Springhill Park Garden of Reflection - Upper Springfield Resource CentreA mural to complement a landscaping project created within the Springhill Park area with suicide awareness as its focus. The area had been regenerated with new fences, railings and a sculpture. The mural was designed with input from families, young people and local artists to rejuvenate a 90 foot wall alongside the garden that was covered in graffiti, and to link into the wider focus of suicide awareness.

• Education Award WinnerProject 220 - Springvale LearningA redesigned and refurbished property was purchased by Springvale Learning to give construction students the opportunity to learn practical skills while improving a local eyesore that attracted antisocial behaviour. The house was put on the market and sold, providing a small profit to put back into the programme.

Environment

PAGE #19

• Community Award WinnerReducing our Carbon Footprint - Footprints Women’s CentreThis was an initiative taken by the Women’s Centre in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. Various energy efficiency measures were put in place, which will reduce the Centre’s emissions by an estimated 16 tonnes per year. This links into a larger education programme on environmental issues, which was developed by the Centre.

The Partnership and the Housing, Environment and Planning Sub Group would like to thank our sponsors Ark Housing, Bombardier Aerospace and Belfast City Council for making this year’s Awards possible and for their continued support.

Urban Fringe projectThis year saw WBPB embark on an exciting initiative aimed at the protection, enhancement and development of our environmental assets and natural heritage along the rural/urban fringe of the Belfast Hills. The Urban Fringe Initiative involves a range of partners including the Belfast Hills Partnership; Outdoor Recreation NI; DSD; Colin, North Belfast and Shankill Partnerships; Belfast, Lisburn and Newtownabbey Councils. Funded by Northern Ireland Environment Agency, the initiative has begun with an Urban Fringe Study which will produce a detailed baseline study that will link current plans and stakeholders along the Belfast Hills and provide the details for a future integrated, strategic plan of works in terms of open space, access, recreation, biodiversity, built heritage and green infrastructure.

The Urban Fringe Study will: • Foster synergy between a wide variety of

existing stakeholders• Link existing urban fringe plans• Identify opportunities and gaps • Form strategic links across city• Promote citywide connections across the

Belfast Hills, taking in greenways• Undertake desktop research on common

urban fringe issues and best practice• Highlight local fringe issues, concerns and

opportunities• Identify and map key spaces and areas

both physically and in terms of land ownership and responsibilities

• Ensure policy synergy throughout• Leverage additional resources

Reneé Crawford Chair of the Housing, Environment and Planning Subgroup

Environment “The Awards grow from strength to strength, building on momentum from one year to the next. They are a great opportunity to recognise and reward the local environmental projects and initiatives initiatives whether big or small, in the area which strive to make west Belfast a better place to live, work and visit” - Reneé Crawford, Chairperson of the West Belfast Partnership’s Housing, Environment and Planning Subgroup.

218 - 226 Falls Road Belfast BT12 6AHT: 028 90 809 202E: info@wbpb.orgW: www.westbelfast-partnership.com

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