Four local community projects in the Saintfield area have been awarded £1K each by local housing association Choice Housing in partnership with the Department for Communities (DfC) and the NI Housing Executive.
Community organisations in the area applied for the ‘Participatory Budgeting Programme’ aimed at giving local groups the opportunity to put forward proposals for funded programmes that would benefit the local area. The Participatory Budgeting Programme is delivered as part of the Department for Communities and Housing Executive’s Shared Housing Programme – ‘Housing for All’, which has its origins in the NI Executive Together: Building a United Community Strategy.
This plan will aim to deliver tailored initiatives for the local community in an effort to strengthen community relations and form new partnerships for the good of the local area. The Participatory Budgeting Programme forms part of the Saintfield Good Relations Plan which is delivered to all communities within a five-mile radius of the Manse Court shared housing development.
Following an event, held in Saintfield Community Centre on the 17th of June in which groups engaged with local residents and other community groups to present their ideas, four groups were successful. The Monday Social Group, Saintfield Community Association, Saintfield Men’s Shed and Little Sunbeams Pre-School & Playgroup were all awarded £1K each, voted for by local people.
Mark Kent, Choice Housing’s Good Relations Officer said,
“A key element of this programme is ensuring that community funding is allocated based on need of the local community and who is better placed to deliver this than local community groups and residents themselves.
“They know first hand what their community needs and how best to deliver it – Choice Housing and partners are committed to facilitating the delivery of tailored initiatives in an effort to strengthen community relations. I would like to congratulate the four successful groups and we look forward to continuing this partnership going forward.”
Maria O'Loan, Little Sunbeams
“We are very excited to be receiving this support for our project. This funding will ensure that we can have a really positive impact on our community here in Saintfield and on early years provision in particular.”
