6 April 2006
BRIGHT FUTURE FOR NORTH BELFAST LITTLE STARS PROJECT
Star Neighbourhood Centre in North Belfast's New Lodge has received £40,000 from Department for Social Development (DSD) Belfast Regeneration Office to meet local demand for quality, affordable childcare.
The Neighbourhood Renewal funding will secure two full-time posts within the Little Stars project which caters for over 120 children on a daily basis. The Centre provides crèche facilities five mornings a week, an after-schools project and summer scheme.
Minister for Social Development David Hanson said: 'The Little Stars Project is helping to address the need for quality, affordable childcare in an area of high deprivation. The Centre is giving young people the best possible start in life by making a positive contribution to their social development and improving their educational attainment. Importantly, it is also enabling their parents to take up education, training and employment opportunities.
"Poverty has for too long blighted the lives of some neighbourhoods and is one of the primary causes of deprivation. Helping people in deprived neighbourhoods to get jobs is one of the best ways of tackling disadvantage.
"Through its support for the Little Stars Project, my Department is underlining its commitment to helping families and neighbourhoods to break the cycle of decline."
The Little Stars Project is based at the Star Neighbourhood Centre, Hillman Street, New Lodge.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. The New Lodge has a total population of 6,466 (Noble 1999 mid-year population estimates) with some 27.15% under the age of 15 years. A recent report by the North and West Belfast Health and Social Services Trust completed under the SureStart Initiative identified that:
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.
- In the New Lodge area, 57.42% of the child population are dependents of income support claimants;
- New Lodge is in the top ten wards with the highest percentage of lone parents in North and West Belfast;
- The area has few registered childminders; and
- Despite a recent increase in the level of day-care facilities, there is still a shortage of facilities to support working parents.
3. The Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy has four interlinking strategic objectives:
4. For further information, contact the DSD Information Office on 028 9082 9496.
- 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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