Star Neighbourhood Centre Celebrates Transformation
A vital community facility in north Belfast has been transformed thanks to funding from the EU Urban II Programme and the Big Lottery Fund.
The Star Neighbourhood Centre, which now shines brightly in the midst of redeveloped homes in New Lodge, was launched on Friday, 9th December 2005.
The centre received a £171,743.50 grant from the EU Urban II Community Initiative Programme managed by the North Belfast Partnership. A further £101,640 of support was secured in the form of a Building Quality Childcare grant from the Big Lottery Fund. The centre now incorporates two children’s rooms, disabled access and toilets, extra office space and an upstairs room for training.
Centre manager Trish O’Kane said: “We have transformed the building. It used to be an old carpet warehouse which was given to the community in the early nineties. We just had one big hall, and it was a bit like a conveyor belt, with one children’s group having to move on before another group could come in. Now we have a bright new environment for all the children, and disability access in line with legislation.”
The centre caters for 12 pre-school children in its morning crèche, 12 in the homework club, and has 24 places in the after schools club. The space is now also used by local pensioners, a residents’ group and a number of youth projects.
“The redevelopment has benefits for the whole community,” said Trish. “Before all we could do was provide respite, now we have the extra space to provide training and parental support.”
New Lodge has been identified as a Neighbourhood Renewal Area, and is one of the 10 most deprived wards in Northern Ireland. Against this background, Trish said the support the Star Neighbourhood Centre offered families was vital.
“A facility like this is very important because in this area people are still suffering from the effects of the Troubles, and any form of respite care is very important for parents,” she said.
Another development is that the centre is able to do school runs. “Since we have been doing pick-ups from schools, around nine of our parents have accessed employment because we are providing full after-school care,” said Trish.
She said the funding had come at a good time. “We used to be in the middle of rows of terraced houses, many of which were bricked up, but the area has been redeveloped and the Housing Executive has built lots of new homes. The building was looking neglected and thanks to the grants from Urban II and the Big Lottery Fund we have been able to transform it.”
Mother-of-five Marian McDonald has just put baby Darragh’s name on the list for a place at the Star crèche. He is just four-weeks-old. Her five-year-old daughter Fia used to attend, and son Odhran, three, uses the crèche five days a week.
“There is quite a demand for places,” said Marian. “The two hours that Darragh is in are great, I can get all sorts of things done. The crèche is brilliant, the children love coming here and the new centre is fantastic. It is a lovely spacious place to come into, especially compared to what we were used to.”
Cllr Carál Ní Chuilín, joint Chair of the Board of North Belfast Partnership and the Urban II Programme Management Executive, speaking at the event, commented:
“The Inner North Belfast Urban II Programme is about regenerating the most disadvantaged areas in North Belfast by enhancing physical resources, improving services and developing the skills and capacity of local people. In an area which suffers from multiple deprivation, it is encouraging to see an organisation like the Star Neighbourhood Centre proactively tackling social issues. Urban II were delighted to fund this project, which not only provides bigger and brighter premises for the area, but also provides extra childcare facilities and offers parents the opportunity to undertake employment and training.”
Walter Rader, Director of the Big Lottery Fund in Northern Ireland, said:
“This development and our grant to the local community clearly shows how local communities with vision and enthusiasm can make best use of lottery funding. I am delighted the Big Lottery Fund has been able to support the Star Neighbourhood Centre. It is very clear that this project will benefit not only children but will also make a vital contribution to parents, the wider family circle and indeed the whole community.
“It is a community helping itself, it is a community providing much needed services and support to families.”
For further information contact Trish O’Kane, manager, Star Neighbourhood Centre, on 028 9074 0693.
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