Duncairn Community Partnership

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Total DCP Reference Group Meetings to date during 2017: 7

Duncairn Community Partnership Reference Group is made of up of representatives from each of our partner groups alongside representatives from Government/Statutory sector agencies and Funders. The Reference Group provides strategic support, expertise, guidance and accountability to the partnership. Having strong links and accountability with statutory agencies and funder's is central to the future continued success of Duncairn Community Partnership. Click here to download minutes

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DCP PEACE WALLS RESIDENTS SURVEY

The Duncairn Community Partnership (DCP) baseline attitudinal survey report is one of six carried out in the local communities impacted by physical barriers as part of the International Fund for Ireland’s Peace Walls Programme.

Unlike other studies, these surveys concentrate on the views of those most affected by change to the barriers, the people who live closest to them and who would be taking the biggest risks. The surveys show that fear continues to be a key issue for many, yet most want to see physical change in place for future generations. Positive change will only be enabled when agencies work together to ensure local voice is prioritised and after-care protection of life and property is in place and effective

Email or call us if you would like a copy of the full survey results for the Duncairn area

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Saturday 30 August 2016

On Saturday 30th August residents from Tigers Bay, Antrim Road, New Lodge and the Ardoyne areas of Belfast visited Glasnevin cemetery in Dublin.

The trip was organised by the PSNI and Dean Clarke Foundation in order to bring people from both sides of the community together to learn more about one another’s culture and todiscuss the peacewalls project.

Given the significance of the year 2016 in relation to the centenary on the Easter Rising the group decided that it would be apt to visit the cemetery and take the tour. This was a decision made by all parties and therefore plans were drawn up for our attendance.

The tour was guided with an extremely informed usher. It began with the history of Dublin and then moved on to show the resting places of some of influential business persons of the time, highlighting that it was these individuals who made Dublin the city it is today.

As the tour progressed it moved through the various time periods and sections of the cemetery until we arrived at the graves of the men and women who had been part of the Easter Rising.

Finally the tour concluded at the burial sites of fallen soldiers from the World Wars.

It was a challenging day for all as many myths and misconceptions were corrected through the factual account given by our guide. Perceptions and personal opinions of the Easter Rising lead to many discussions which still continue today.

Later that day as we all reflected on what we had seen and done, it was agreed that the only way forward was to put aside our misconceptions and beliefs through education and inclusiveness

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Limestone United Juniors cross community football team achieved a fantastic result by winning the 7 a side ASDA Foundation Cup at Cliftonville Football club on Thursday 20th April 2017 . Limestone remained unbeaten in their 5 matches and won the Final on penalties against Craigavon. Limestone secured wins against Divis and North Belfast United on the way to the Final

Limestone keeper Paul Smith in his first match was voted the Limestone United player of the tournament making a number of vital saves throughout the event.

Limestone United welcomed 3 new players into the team for this tournament and it was evident how welcome they felt becoming part of the team which ethos is one of respect, fun and commitment. Young people from the Tigers Bay/Newington and New lodge communities continue to make this project a success. This month also saw the ladies Limestone project being launched and last month Limestone seniors footballteam secured a win against World United.

Limestone United are currently looking for more matches to play to support the current 12 month promote and develop phase of the project. Special thanks as always for the fantastic support we receive from the Duncairn Community Partnership, Newington Housing Association, Intercomm and the Irish Football Association

Arsenal Community Hub have become excellent partners to Limestone United, and delivered a fantastic programme to help in the development of the participants.

As part of the ongoing crime prevention work, a senior youth worker from the North Belfast BELB area project also attended to develop relationships with the team, and use the benefits of the Limestone Model to assist in positive youth intervention using mentors from their local community

The visit included

A talk with a survivor of the Holocaust who made a compelling impact with his positive message on hate, and how to strive to make a positive impact in your community no matter how small the action;
Indoor football match against Young people from North London who have come through the criminal Justice system and are making efforts through sport to change their lives in a positive way. Limestone won a tough but enjoyable session with a last minute goal from Dean Blair;
Planning session with Arsenal as to potential progress for the Limestone Model as it is being rolled out with prevent and deter throughout Northern Ireland. Honest and frank conversations took place with clear objectives outlined for forthcoming 12 months;
Night time visits to 2 projects in area so we could witness projects chat to young people and leaders in attendance. This was an excellent learning opportunity and we saw at first-hand how use of local pitches could reduce ASB in hot-spots areas if used in an imaginative way with motivated leaders to support young people hanging around the streets.

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Volunteers are an essential element of encouraging local resident participation with our project. These meetings were organised as follow ups to DCP's "Events for All" activities when local residents were asked to complete short surveys on volunteering and the potential for the possible replacement of interface barriers . Volunteers who attended this event were alsotreated to a craft class, facilitated discussion and a little lunch.

Would you be interested in volunteering? If so contact us by email, info@duncairn.com or by phone on 02890352165 (ask for Leeanne, Kate or Ciaran)

We look forward to hearing from you!

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This year, 2017, one hundred senior citizens from the New Lodge, Tigers Bay, Newington, Mountcollyer and Westland areas had a great cross community day out shopping in Ballymena. Despite the horrible weather, they enjoyed spending a few pounds in Ballymena Town Centre! There was plenty of chat and facilitated discussion about all the positive changes in the Duncairn area as a result of the Peace Walls Project. Following the bus trip the senior citizens enjoyed a meal and T dance in the Lough Shore Hotel in Carrickfergus!. This included a cultural and identity presentation and a facilitated discussion on the potential possibility for replacing interface barriers/structures.

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Duncairn Community Partnership (DCP) has today condemned as ‘mischievous’ sectarian graffiti that emerged in Alexandra Park over the weekend – and called on whoever was behind it to stop immediately.

Graffiti of a sectarian nature was erected on the inside of the gate which opens the ‘peace wall’ in the park (the only such structure dividing a public park in Western Europe).

Condemning the graffiti, DCP manager Ciaran Shannon said:

“This has emerged after a prolonged period of positive progress in Alexandra Park. The progress made in the park was publicly acknowledged by Barack Obama when he was last here as US President.

“Indeed members of DCP and the Alexandra Park Steering Group have been involved in a recent initiative with Belfast City Council to bring added impetus into activities in the park. It is against this backdrop that the weekend’s graffiti is placed and why it has to be seen as mischievous in its intent. Therefore we call on whoever was responsible to either raise their heads and explain to residents and park users what they’re trying to achieve by these senseless actions, and/or completely and immediately stop.

“For our part, we will be meeting with senior Belfast City Council officials, Senior Belfast PSNI and DOJ representatives to ensure all is being done to protect the park and we will be re-doubling our efforts in attempting to add to the positive work already undertaken to make North Belfast citizens lives better and free from sectarian intimidation. We urge everybody to show the same community leadership and get behind this positive agenda for North Belfast.”

Belfast City Council have decided to widen their original agreement to carry out community consultation in relation to the development of a cross community outdoor classroom in Alexandra Park.

The Council are now taking a wider and more strategic approach to the overall development of the entire Alexandra Park. This new strategic approach could lead to a number of other positive developments or improvements that would compliment the provision of our existing outdoor classroom proposal. Joe McVey, (Blue Print Development), has been appointed as a consultant to facilitate this work. Duncairn Community Partnership welcome the opportunity to work with Belfast City Council, Alexandra Park Steering Group and others committed to securing the long term future of Alexandra Park as an active shared space enjoyed by all communities in North Belfast.

To date the Council have hosted two community workshops and one working group session aimed at agreeing a wider development plan for the park.

Presentation to North Belfast Area Working Group

Recently known as being the only park in Europe with an interface fence dividing and restricting access to the two main communities of lower North Belfast, Alexandra Park has now been totally transformed by;

the installation of a peace gate providing greater shared access for all and
the introduction of cross community events and activities to build relationships across the interfaces.

Belfast City Council has been at the forefront of these unique projects which has had a remarkable positive impact in terms of reducing levels of sectarian incidents in the Park whilst increasing social mobility between and across interface communities.

Members of Duncairn Community Partnership and Alexander Park Steering Group were invited to a meeting of Councillors and Officers who make up Belfast City Council's North Belfast Area Working Group. The intent behind the meeting was to provide details to Councillors of a potential proposal to develop two outdoor classrooms in the Park. Interest in Alexander Park has increased, particularly from a youth perspective. Children from Holy Family and Mountcollyer Youth Clubs recently completed a cross community project whereby members from both youth clubs visited the Berlin Wall in Germany to view a number of projects that could be relevant and possibly developed in Alexander Park by young people.

Holy Family Primary School and Currie Primary School alongside Alexander Park Steering Group, are also researching a proposal to develop an outdoor classroom in the Park, therefore providing additional educational provision for pupils and members of our communities.

Councillors and Officers of the North Belfast Area Working Group listened to a presentation and asked numerous questions in relation to the provision of the outdoor classroom. The Council were asked to consider undertaking community consultation as a means of garnering community support to progress this proposal.

We will of course advise of any progress on this website!

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The discussion was led by Dr Jonny Byrne who has significant research and practical experience on peace walls. The roundtable reflected on the Northern Ireland Executive’s strategy to remove all peace walls by 2023.

The event focused upon recent research that has explored the challenges around establishing a robust and coherent policy aimed at building and sustaining community confidence in processes aimed at transforming and ultimately removing peace walls. This detailed analyses is accessible at: http://www.ark.ac.uk/peacewalls2012/peacewalls2012.pdf

Participants enjoyed the debate, learning and sharing personal experiences on this and other issues associated with peace measurement.

This dialogue was made possible through OFMDFM North Belfast Strategic Good Relations Programme with support from the International Fund for Ireland’s Peace Walls Programme.

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Organising cross community events and activities plays a pivotal and complementary role in supporting the work of Duncairn Community Partnership's IFI Peace Walls project. On this occasion, additional support from Newington Housing Association, North Belfast Housing Association and Apex Housing Association proved invaluable in terms of bringing additional resources to these events and activities.

Resident engagement is a powerful and meaningful activity in developing positive community relations and promoting peace building. Changing attitudes and mindsets whilst promoting respect and trust, is essential in building the capacity and confidence of local interface residents to engage with one another.

Please scroll down and have a wee look at events and accompanying pictures!

Over 150 residents from Tigers Bay, the New Lodge, Mountcollyer and Newington communities who reside in close proximity to the interfaces, came together on Sunday 20th September 2015 to enjoy a meal and social event in a gigantic marquee sited in the car park at the rear of the Delaware Shared Apartment complex. The marquee, decked out with bunting designed and made by local children, helped to create a relaxed and enjoyable environment to promote social interaction between residents and families. A wonderful example of how community relations in our area continues to improve and be supported by local residents. Well done everybody!

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Over 120 schoolchildren from Currie and Holy Family primary schools participated in a cross community "Balloons for Peace" event. 120 balloons were launched outside the Delaware Shared Apartment Complex on the Limestone Road, a location which was at one time, the most contentious interface in N.I. Each balloon carried a unique code which identified the child who owned it. Prizes were awarded to one child from each school dependent on the distance that their balloon travelled. We received contacts from people who have found balloons both here and in Scotland!! Closing date for this competition was Friday 16 October 2015

[Click on a picture below to enlarge]

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Following consultation initially with residents and then with a number of dockers, artist Ross Wilson embarked on a process of designing this unique, historical piece of artwork depicting the positive contribution made by dockers to the City of Belfast. Welcomed by local residents, the mural has helped to soften the look of this interface wall and contribute to a much improved physical appearance. Special thanks to Michelle Hand (Belfast City Council), Brian Davidson (IFI) and artist Ross Wilson for their advice, guidance and support in bringing this project to fruition.

click on images below to enlarge

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Following consultation with local business's, Dr Burns surgery and residents along Duncairn Gardens, Ross Wilson was appointed and tasked to develop a number of examples of artwork which would help to brighten up and re-image this plain black corrugated interface barrier. The final choice of artwork was both unique and environmentally friendly, allowing the new artwork to blend in with existing shrubs, trees and hedging whilst completely transforming the appearance of a former interface barrier.

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In partnership with the PSNI, Duncairn Community Partnership supported a group of young women from Tigers Bay to visit Dublin on a learning residential. The residential included a visit to Croke Park to watch a Gaelic football match. Learning included understanding diversity, cultural respect, promoting community relations and developing links with the local neighbourhood policing team. The young women were also encouraged to reflect on the work of DCP from a Peace Walls perspective and from a wider community perspective in relation to cross community relationships and events held throughout the year. Further contact with these young women will hopefully lead to more local cross community links being developed and provide opportunities for young women from the Tigers Bay and Mountcollyer areato become actively involved in consultation and events associated with the Peace Walls programme.

In partnership with the PSNI, Duncairn Community Partnership supported a cross community group of young men in a residential to Dublin. These young men are all involved in a cross community football team representative of the New Lodge, Tigers Bay, Mountcollyer and Newington areas. A football match was organised with a similar team from Dublin followed by a visit and tour of Glasnevin Cemetery. Participants were also involved in a number of discussions focused on promoting improved relationships with police, community relations, understanding cultural diversity and the role of the Peace Walls programme in Lower North Belfast. Similarly to the very successful Limestone United project, both the PSNI and DCP will be seeking to further develop this group to become active participants in future Peace Walls consultation and delivery.

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Newington Street Update

The removal of this security gate as part of the Peace Walls project funded by IFI allows free travel along the interface street for the first time since 1988. Kate Clarke of Duncairn Community Partnership said the gate was put up during the Troubles when people were being killed in their homes and remained during the Drumcree dispute. "When Drumcree was going on, Newington Street attracted everything that happened because it was literally on the interface," she said. In 2012 the security gate was opened for a couple of hours a day, and from the end of last year it was open all day with one-way traffic. "I'm glad that things have come to fruition and the barrier is down. It's great for the residents - there is a lot of good cross-community work that goes on here between Limestone, Duncairn and New Lodge," Ms Clarke said.

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Duncairn Community Partnership. Intercomm Building, 290-292 Antrim Road, Belfast. Telephone 90352165. email: info@duncairn.com

Links to IFI Peacewalls Programme Updates

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