Council Area: Belfast City Council

Belfast Youth Showcase Community Pride in Powerful Video

Young people from R-CITY, a cross-community organisation in Belfast, created a video highlighting the importance of positivity and community pride during Good Relations Week. The video showcases their work and hopes for the future, emphasizing the value of celebrating different cultures and backgrounds.

The young people involved in a youth organisation based in Belfast have shared a powerful video highlighting the importance of sharing positivity and having pride in their communities. R-CITY is a cross-community organisation working with 474 young people from different cultures and religious backgrounds across North Belfast.

You can view the video here.

Megan Hamilton, youth worker at R-City, said the response to their Good Relations Week work has been “phenomenal.”

She added: “The media often showcase young people in a very negative light, therefore it’s important for us at R-City to ensure we promote the amazing work young people have been involved in not just this week but all year round.

“We used the video to showcase the work that was done throughout Good Relations to spread positivity across the community which has gave young people a sense of pride and owndership for taking lead in their community to put on a great event for everyone to enjoy.

“It is important to have events like this as it creates an opportunity for everyone to feel apart of a community which isn’t labelled. Young people are given the opportunity to learn about different cultural backgrounds which works towards creating an inclusive society for everyone to live in and creating positive relationships.

Transformative Belfast PEACEPLUS projects unveiled

Sixteen Belfast projects with the potential to bring communities together will share £15.1million of funding through the PEACEPLUS programme, administered by the Special EU Programmes Body.

Further details of schemes included in Belfast City Council’s PEACEPLUS Local Action Plan were unveiled  at City Hall.

Over the next three years, 16 initiatives engaging over 17,000 residents will be delivered, with everyone across the city encouraged to get involved. Key projects include:

  • Youth project which aims to educate young people on the importance of peace, conflict resolution and understanding difference;
  • Multiculturalism to Interculturalism – culture and heritage project which will explore history and heritage, as well as the sharing and promotion of positive cultural heritage and identity; and
  • Community empowerment project that will build the capacity of local communities across the city, strengthening community participation to help shape the future of their local area.

Six projects will focus on the theme of thriving and peaceful communities, with activity centred on young people, capacity building, health and wellbeing, sports and arts and employability.

A further five projects are aimed at celebrating cultures and diversity, with initiatives examining culture and heritage, community connections for minority communities, interfaith and belief, community engagement for LGBTQIA+ communities and empowerment for ex-politically motivated prisoners.

The regeneration and transformation of five local areas across the city will be achieved through capital works and activity projects at Distillery Street, Annadale Open Space, The Sanctuary Theatre, Access to the Hills and an LGBTQIA+ Hub at 2 Royal Avenue.

The PEACEPLUS projects provide the opportunity to create a brighter, inclusive, future for all, aligning with the theme for Good Relations Week.

Soroptimist Belfast Crafts Workshop

Soroptimist International Belfast launched its 16 Days of Activism campaign on International Women’s Day (8 March 2024), with a goal of hand stitching 400 mini fabric banners to encourage women. This event taking place on Saturday 21st September invites you to come along and help us reach this goal!

Join the workshop – no craft skills are required.

Soroptimist International is the largest women’s volunteer organisation in the world with 88,000 members in 124 countries. The United Nations 16 Days of Activism to End Violence Against Women campaign starts on 25 November (Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls Day) and ends on 10 December (Human Rights Day).

Online GRW Quiz

As part of our Good Relations Week, TIDES will host an online fun quiz for up to 60 participants on the Peace + funded Youthscape Plus programme.

Young people from Omagh, Dungannon, Cookstown, Enniskillen, Letterkenny and Ballybofey will be brought together online to take part in a fun and informative competition which will include general knowledge, music, sport, and good relations issues. Groups will be hosted by four South West College campuses and two Donegal Youth Service centres who are piloting the new Youthscape Plus programme which will see young people from different backgrounds working together in a six month long programme of education, exploration, and dialogue.

Ulster Hockey Club 1896 Lunch

This is an Ulster Hockey business networking event and lunch followed by a Q&A session with Eugene Magee (former international hockey player and club hurler), Lynsey Mallon (hockey player), Angela Platt (Director of Women’s football at IFA), and Sally Gunnell (Olympic gold medalist 1992 400m metres hurdles). There will be a Q&A session, hosted by Denise Watson.

For further information on this event, please contact the event organiser at admin@ulsterhockey.com

Sport and Inclusion Explored at the NI Sport and Human Rights Forum

On 10th September, the latest NI Sport and Human Rights Forum meeting took place at the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC)’s offices in Belfast. The purpose of the meeting was to explore Sport and Inclusion, focusing on several areas including young people, asylum seekers and refugees, women & girls, and disability.

Gráinne Murphy from Swim Ireland presented on the work of Swim Ireland’s Athletes’ Commission, including how they strive to include the voice of young people in their work.

Next up to present was Funmi Abayomi from the Ethnic Minority Sport Organisation NI (EMSONI), exploring the impact of sport on the lives of the ethnic minority communities in Northern Ireland, and their initiatives to engage refugees and asylum-seekers.

Following EMSONI was Netball NI, with Lisa Rickett and Meg Wallace sharing the organisation’s efforts to promote women and girls in sport. They highlighted the key barriers facing women getting involved in sporting activities, as well as all the benefits it can provide.

The Forum then heard from Anna Pim, founder of At the Heart of the Game, about her own inspiring story, detailing her sporting journey in hockey and how she set up her organisation which provides players with CPR and AED awareness training.

Finally, Ulster GAA’s Shane McCann and Paul Callaghan shared the story and benefits of GAA for All, a family of initiatives in the GAA including wheelchair hurling and camogie, Fun and Run, the HERO programme and other inclusive activities. They were joined by wheelchair hurler Peadar Heffron who was able to update members about his experience as a player.

Alyson Kilpatrick, Chief Commissioner, said:

“This meeting of the NI Sport and Human Rights Forum was packed with timely and insightful presentations from organisations across a range of sports in Northern Ireland, all of whom are using their skills and experience to create a more inclusive space for everyone.

I would like to thank the representatives from Swim Ireland, EMSONI, Netball NI, At the Heart of the Game and Ulster GAA for taking the time to speak to Forum members about their work and for providing valuable insights on making inclusion a top priority.”

MEtime in Nature Virtual Mandala

Take a breather at this multidisciplinary, meditative installation merging spoken word, music, visual art, soundscapes and videos to reconnect with the elements – earth, water, fire, air, space, light with spirit being the guide for each playful, perhaps provoking and potentially peaceful individual journey.

The MEtime in Nature Virtual Mandala installation seeks to facilitate a greater awareness of self and the natural environment with the aim of evoking an urgent responsibility to take mindful care of ourselves, and our planet.

It was created by Juanita Rea, Visiting Scholar at the School of Arts, English and Languages, Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) and Arts Council Northern Ireland, Minority Ethnic Mentorship and Residency Awardee. The Eventbrite link is available here.

Juanita is an Indian South African artist and recipient of a Global Talent Visa Endorsement from Arts Council since 2021.

She is raising £3,286 for her visa extension fee (£716) and immigration health surcharge (IHS, £2070 ) due for submission by December 13th, 2024. This March, the Home Office doubled the IHS fees placing immense pressure on people like Juanita who are self-employed. She was also previously served an unjustified Deportation Notice (which was overtuned with the support of `Claire Hanna MP) and also needs legal support (£500) to process the visa successfully.

Juanita hopes that all visitors gain the benefits of the MEtime in Nature Virtual Mandala and is grateful for the support offered to her visa extension fundraiser.

Price: £20 + £2.38 ticket fee for:

IMAGINE Peace: Women Leading Together

IMAGINE Peace Barriers Project is hosting a special women-only event designed to foster dialogue and build connections across our communities. IMAGINE Peace: Women Leading Together will bring women from Lower Oldpark, Lower Cliftonville, and surrounding areas into a safe and welcoming space to share experiences, challenges, and opportunities in promoting peace and reconciliation.

Through interactive roundtable conversations, we will explore critical themes such as identity, belonging, and living on an interface. This event is open to women from all backgrounds, including newcomers, offering an opportunity to share stories, discuss challenges, and find creative ideas for working together to develop new opportunities within our communities.

Light lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Please note: This session is limited to 35 participants, and registration is essential.

*** Book your place by emailing elizabeth@ccrf.org.uk or by texting 07415 090230

Culture and Identity Awareness Taster Session

This taster session will give an introduction to the culture and identity training developed by Falls Community Council.

Our training programme explores culture, identity and diversity in a divided society. The training is delivered to adults and young people. The training uses stories, images, surveys and exercises to have conversations about these issues. We encourage participants to learn about and from each other.

In the taster session there will be an outline of the training and a chance to experience some of the exercises.

The session will begin at 12noon followed by refreshments at 1pm.

Peace in the Park 3

Peace in the Park 3 Goes Country

This event will take place on Sunday 8th September in Alexandra Park, Belfast from 12-4pm. The event hosted by Intercomm and Duncairn Community Partnership will ensure an afternoon of family fun.

This event will celebrate all that’s good in North Belfast and will include a range of activities and entertainers such as a petting farm, a pet show, balloon modeller, fairground rides along with live entertainment and much much more!

Open for all to attend!