OVER the last 30 years the Upper Andersonstown Community Forum has been the launch pad for major environmental, social and community change within the greater Andersonstown area.
Based at Tullymore Community Centre, a range of services is offered to the local community including training programmes, childcare facilities and initiatives to support healthy and sustainable living.
On Friday night a celebration night of 30 years of Tullymore Community Centre will take place in Andersonstown Social Club (PD).
Looking back at the last 30 years, the Andersonstown News sat down with founding members Gerard Meehan and Barney Kane alongside current Upper Andersonstown Community Forum director, Michael George.
Gerard Meehan began by recalling the origins of the organisation.
"I was part of a committee in the area and we wanted to get some sort of community organisation up and running," he explained. "In August 1995, a number of small community groups working within Upper Andersonstown came together to take advantage of the changing external environment.
"It was agreed to constitute as a community forum, based at Tullymore Gardens. The building was in a state of disrepair. The first challenge was to refurbish the building to ensure it was safe to work out of.
"We then got registered in 1996 and got funding to employ a Project Manager, Co-ordinator, Women’s Training Officer and an Administrator.
"The renovation of the centre allowed the forum to start delivering services such as an after-school club, youth club/summer scheme and community work programme.
"The after-school club initially worked closely with the local Irish language bunscoil to provide a programme for four-11-year-olds. We opened a youth club on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday night.
"The first forum summer scheme took place in 1997, catering for 200 local children and 40 volunteers to look after them."
In 1996, all the groups within the area under the guidance of the Forum, produced the first Community Directory for the area. The Directory also gave notice of the intention to campaign for a new build community facility on the Tullymore site.
In March 2001, Tullymore Community Centre officially opened, funded by the International Fund for Ireland, Belfast Regeneration Board and the Belfast European Partnership Board.
The forum had been expanding its services and increasing its employees and the new building provided a launch pad into a new era of expansion and opportunity.
Barney Kane, also a founding member, said the new building was a game-changer for Upper Andersonstown Community Forum.
"There was no youth facility in the area and we set out to make youth provision a priority and get kids off the streets. That was one of our initial aims.
"For me, without Tullymore Community Centre, there would be a lot more people out of work.
"The education courses we provided were a life-line to young people. We put them through their English and Maths GCSE equivalent in a non-school setting. We helped hundreds of kids and it probably helped them stay off the streets and out of trouble.
"There was a housing group set up and a festival group. Computer classes was also a big thing. We had to work with the limited funding we had.
"We then applied for funding to redevelop the building and that was the turning point for us. It meant we had a place for the whole community to use. It secured everything that we wanted to achieve."
Upper Andersonstown Community Forum has continued to grow ever since and current director Michael George says that securing the services they currently have at Tullymore is the priority before future expansion.
"I am here about three years and one of my first roles was to co-ordinate the Covid pandemic efforts by delivering food and fuel vouchers in the community and stuff like that," he said. "The centre is thriving today. We are open three nights a week for young people. We have a fantastic summer scheme and a popular creche.
"We also have one of the biggest senior projects in West Belfast.
"We have a very family-orientated centre. We are very proud to continue to serve the Andersonstown community.
"We want to build the centre in the future but at present with funding pressures it is important to secure what we have here today.
"We want to make sure the next generation of youth have somewhere to go.
"Our senior population in Andersonstown is massive and they need somewhere too and for many Tullymore feels like a home from home.
"Our celebration on Friday night in the PD is a get-together. It is an opportunity for anybody who has had an involvement in the centre over the last 30 years to come along and celebrate with us."
Tullymore Community Centre 30th anniversary celebration will take place in Andersonstown Social Club (PD) on Friday, May 8 from 8pm-late.
There will be entertainment from James McPeake and DJ Tony Coleman.
Tickets are available at Tullymore Community Centre or email r.mclaughlin@uacf.ie.
