ANDERSONSTOWN-based charity Foodstock have celebrated the opening a new Education and Empowerment Centre in Belfast city centre.
The new facility in King Street is a space created to support children, families and individuals across Belfast with learning, guidance and community connection.
It was launched on Tuesday with the help of Belfast boxing legend Carl Frampton.
Foodstock started as a food bank and continues to this day to reach people living in food insecurity via mutual aid parcels and a breakfast programme reaching thousands of schoolchildren each year.
This new initiative aims to tackle the long-term impacts of poverty through education and employment opportunities across communities.
The centre will deliver free tuition, holiday learning camps, one-to-one support and workshops for children as well as wider support for families on food, housing and advice services.
Speaking at the opening, Foodstock founder and Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast, Paul Doherty, said the project was the completion of a "dream".
"This beautiful space that we have built together has been my own personal dream but also our collective dream at Foodstock for a very long time," he said.
Foodstock founder Paul Doherty
"I am glad to say that that dream has become a reality for us all and I'm so proud of this moment and the people who have made this happen.
"This centre will have a lasting impact on the lives of many children, adults and families from communities right across this city in the days, weeks, months and years ahead.
"This is a place where people, especially children and young people, will come to realise their own dreams, a place where they feel that sense of community all around them as they walk through that door and we hope they feel inspired as they leave.
"The centre is more than a project. It is a long-term commitment to breaking down barriers and tackling educational inequality in Belfast.
"By bringing together targeted teaching, pastoral care and family support, we aim to create an environment where every child feels valued, supported and empowered to reach their full potential.
"Together, we can give every child not only the chance to succeed, but the belief that they can thrive, lead and contribute to a more inclusive and equal society."
