More than 40 delegates responsible for administering EU Urban II Community Initiative Programmes across the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and European Commission attended a two-day event in Northern Ireland to share experiences and visit Urban II funded projects in North Belfast.
The group meet annually and North Belfast Partnership, with assistance from DSD’s EU Unit and the Belfast Regeneration Office North Team, were delighted when they were asked to host this year’s event, particularly when Elisabeth Helander, the European Commission’s Director of Territorial Cooperation, Urban Actions and Outermost Regions, confirmed her attendance.
George Mackey, Chair of North Belfast Partnership gave the group a typical warm and hearty Northern Irish welcome, and Murdo Murray, Chief Executive, North Belfast Partnership and Peter Neeson, DSD European Unit set the context of the Urban II Programme in inner North Belfast.
This was followed by a tour of some of the areas in inner North Belfast to benefit from Urban II funds, including Mount Vernon, New Lodge, Carrick Hill, and Ardoyne. The group were particularly interested in the presentations on the Local Employment Access Partnership (LEAP), the Public Initiative for the Prevention of Suicide and Self harm (PIPS), the context within which the North Belfast programme operates in and the work being carried out to bridge the divide. The day ended with a visit to the new Dockers Amateur Boxing Club, which opened last August, thanks to £382,000 from Urban II.
Elisabeth Helander had never been to Belfast before and, in addition, , she particularly appreciated visiting the local projects:
“For several years I had been keen to see firsthand the projects financed by the URBAN programme in Belfast. I was extremely pleased that this visit now was possible, as I have a great respect for the particular challenges that North Belfast Partnership face in delivering the Pprogramme. The tour was really great and very well organised and I highly commend all the projects for their commitment and enthusiasm in bridging the divide and regenerating their areas”
Rob Billson, from the Halifax Urban II Programme, added:
“I found the tour very interesting and informative and am inspired by the passion, community involvement and enthusiasm of North Belfast Partnership and local representatives”.
The second day included separate sessions of the implementing bodies and government representatives, followed by presentations on a number of current issues, including Programme Closure, Impact Assessment, Partnership Working and the legacy that will be left by the programme throughout the UK and Ireland.
The event was highly praised by all who attended and delegates hope to reconvene again within the year.
North Belfast Partnership would like to take this opportunity to thank all those projects that hosted the visitors on the day of the tour and spoke so openly and frankly about the challenges they have faced and how they have overcome them. The Partnership wishes them every success with future projects and applauds their commitment to urban regeneration.
For more information on the event in Belfast, or any of the Urban II funded projects in Belfast, please contact Julie Kirkpatrick on 028 9075 2990.
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