GOOD Relations Week saw hundreds of events taking place to celebrate peace-building, cultural diversity and efforts to tackle sectarianism, racism, and inequality across Belfast.

The Andersonstown News spoke with Stuart Lavery, the Housing Executive's Good Relations Officer on the work he's been doing and is working on to build good community relations.

Good Relations Officers like Stuart work with over 400 youth, community groups and residents’ associations, to help people access funding and get various schemes up and running – projects like youth clubs, community events, lunch clubs, crafting groups and drop-in centres.

Stuart explained that his background in social geography led to his passion for community work.

“I did my degree in Geography and afterwards worked as a researcher at Queen's where I was working with young jobseekers from interface areas and helping them to get employment and it was really rewarding.

"That’s how I got interested in community development and working within the housing community network. I began working for the Housing Executive and I found their approach to be very communty centred and supportive and that’s what led to me taking up the role of Good Relations Officer two months ago.”

One of the big local projects Stuart was involved in recently was replacing the hunger-strike mural on Whiterock Road, with the mural being moved to its new home at Ulster Museum.

Stuart said: “I’m really happy the mural is going to the museum and being preserved. It’s very important when working on projects like this that it’s community led and we had a lot of input from the local community about the direction they wanted for the new mural and also how to preserve the old mural which is now going to the Ulster Museum.

"We got some fantastic input and help from Falls Community Council and former councillor Stevie Corr who worked with us closely throughout the project. It’ll be exciting to see the mural when it goes on display in the museum next year."

Speaking on his current projects Stuart said he was involved in several cross-community events and that his role involves him becoming fully involved with the community.

“The project we were working on was a cross-community project with young people from Gort na Moná in Turf Lodge and the Shankill and they met up for several weeks and everyone got to know each other before going away for a trip together. I think that side of work is really exciting and it’s important to get people to meet up with each other and to realise there’s a lot more they have in common than what divides them.

"The young people realised they both loved the same things, like sport and also had the same problems as well in their areas like accessing care for their mental health.”

Stuart continued: “We’re the funders for these sort of programmes but we don’t just put money into it and leave it at that, part of my job is to go around and make sure everything’s working well. It’s great working alongside these groups and people such as Seamus Corr in Black Mountain Shared Space Project who have done some great work.

"When we fund projects it’s not just for a one-off, it’s long-term projects that can really help communities. That’s what I find the most rewarding, getting out there and building those relationships with people and communities.”

Stuart said he's currently assisting with healthy living projects with groups based out of Grosvenor Recreation Centre and in Lagmore.

“We’re working on a lot of really brilliant projects at the moment in communities associated with healthy lifestyles and healthy eating. We’re working with Immaculata FC at the moment who are working with some over-40-year-olds and inspiring them to get out and active and that’s running from summer to December. We’re also running a nutrition programme at the moment in Lagmore Community Forum which is doing really well."