A major conference on developing capacity building within the voluntary and community sector was held in North Belfast on 6th December 2004. Organised by North Belfast Partnership on behalf of Belfast Area Partnerships, the day-long conference explored opportunities and threats that the sector will face over the coming number of years. A number of keynote speakers provided national and regional perspectives on policy developments. Approximately ninety persons attended the event, representing a wide range of statutory agencies, community and voluntary agencies from all over Belfast.
The keynote address was delivered by Joe Montgomery, Director General of the Tackling Disadvantage Group within the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Joe reviewed the development of Neighbourhood Renewal in England and Wales, highlighting how the programme can have a positive impact on some of the most disadvantaged urban neighbourhoods. With the rolling out of Neighbourhood Renewal in Northern Ireland, Joe’s presentation offered useful insights into this major Government initiative aimed at tackling the issue of highly disadvantaged communities. Other key speakers included David Simmonds, Director of the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion in London, and Dave Wall, Director of the Voluntary and Community Unit within the Department for Social Development (NI). A number of workshops examined case studies from Dublin, Birmingham and Glasgow on capacity building initiatives, some more successful than others. These case studies explored how local communities and organisations have experienced increased capacity building, and provided many examples of best practice for those attending the conference.
Staff from the North Belfast Partnership compiled the Conference report.
The PowerPoint presentations of the conference and workshop speakers are included for reference purposes.
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