15 December 2005
CASH BOOST FOR WEST BELFAST WOMEN'S CENTRE
The Footprints Women's Centre in West Belfast has received a cash boost of almost £188,000 from the Department for Social Development's (DSD's) Belfast Regeneration Office.
The money will help protect ten jobs and enable the Centre to develop the range of services it offers to women from Poleglass, Twinbrook, Kilwee and Lagmore. These include training, education, personal development, health, parenting, childcare, counselling and cross community activities.
Minister for Social Development, David Hanson MP said: "The Footprints Women's Centre is doing an important job of regenerating the community in which it is based both economically and socially. It has a strong self help ethos and is committed to empowering local women to drive forward renewal in their own neighbourhood.
"The Centre is a valuable resource which offers local women the chance to build self-esteem, get qualifications and improve their job prospects leading to a better quality of life for them and their families.
"The funding DSD has provided recognises the excellent work being carried out by Footprints staff. I am particularly impressed by their efforts to improve their own sustainability through the creation of the catering facility run by the community for the community.
"If we are to really tackle the problems of multiple deprivation in areas such as this we must work in genuine partnership with organisations like Footprints to make real changes for the better."
Footprints Women's Centre is the largest local employer outside of industry in the Colin area, employing 33 staff. It operates from a purpose built facility in Poleglass within the Colin Neighbourhood. The Colin Neighbourhood Renewal Area has an approximate population of 16,000 and is ranked within the top 10% of disadvantaged areas in Northern Ireland.
Gillian Gibson of the Footprints Women's Centre welcomed the announcement saying: "This funding will provide a tremendous boost to our social enterprise activities and will encourage the future development of valuable services within the Colin Neighbourhood".
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.
- Footprints Women's Group was established in 1989 by a small group of women living in the Poleglass estate located on the edge of West Belfast and Lisburn. By 1991 the group had expanded and with Making Belfast Work funding refurbished a bungalow formerly used by Down and Lisburn Trust for a baby clinic to open Footprints Women's Centre. Over the next few years the services and staff of the Centre expanded rapidly and in 1999 funding was received through the EU Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation to demolish the bungalow and erect a purpose built Women's Centre housing a drop-in area, kitchen and canteen facilities, childcare and adult learning facilities, an outdoor play area, a library and resource area and office space.
- For further information, contact the DSD Information Office on 028 9082 9496.
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