In the run-up to Saturday's Aisling Awards you can vote for your favourite nominee in our Urban Villages People's Choice Award. Junior Ministers Declan Kearney and Gary Middleton tell us about the work that Urban Villages do in the regeneration of communities in Belfast.
Q. Minister, when you visit the Urban Village areas, can you see clear evidence of change brought about by this intervention?
Declan Kearney: The theme for this year's Aisling Awards is ‘Rebuilding’ and that is exactly what I see when I visit Urban Village areas and listen to the views and experiences of local people. I see clear evidence of lives changed for the better, of stronger and more resilient communities. People are connected within and across communities and cultures, in ways that they previously would not have been.
I am always met with energy and enthusiasm from the people engaged in the Urban Villages Initiative, whether leading programmes and projects or participating in them. The programmes are shaped by the community to tackle identified needs, and that’s why they are so successful. Communities know best what they need to address challenges and make the most of opportunities to develop thriving, inclusive communities; our job is to support them in achieving that.
The capital build programme has also really impacted these areas; not only improving the physical environment, but by creating shared spaces, welcoming and accessible to all. There are more significant building projects that will be started over the next year across all of the areas.
Q. What is the importance of shining a light on the positive work being carried out to build community resilience and vibrancy in the Urban Village areas?
Gary Middleton: The Urban Villages Initiative is delivered in five areas with some of the highest levels of deprivation and historical social tension. Sadly, and unfairly, it is quite often the case that the stories we hear from these areas do not reflect the many positive things going on within the community, and the commitment that exists to make people’s lives better.
The Urban Villages initiative challenges that narrative. From the start, it has acknowledged and highlighted the assets in these areas. I believe it is so important to shine a light on the positive work that goes on. Through this programme, we have seen the communities grow in resilience, and never more so than during the pandemic, when we have seen them rise to the challenges to support those most vulnerable and isolated, and without question, that support has crossed traditional boundaries and crossed cultures.
These are the stories we want everyone to know about, how these communities are becoming vibrant and connected places. The people in Urban Village areas should be proud of the work they have done, we certainly are very proud of them.
Q. Is there a project which has benefited from support under the Urban Villages Initiative which has made a special impression on you?
Declan Kearney: It would be impossible to pick out one project from all of the varied strands of work being delivered by communities across all of the Urban Village areas.
What has made a special impression on me is the thread of good relations that runs through all of these projects. The Urban Villages Initiative is part of the Executive’s Together Building a United Community Strategy (T:buc), and it’s making a real impact.
The work is being delivered across many themes, including, education, youth, employment, health and wellbeing, as well as creating shared spaces. It is building capacity for communities to live and work better together. This is really important work, investing in all of these communities to help them on their journey to creating sustainable and thriving places as part of a shared and united community.
Q. In the Aisling Awards this year, there is a real emphasis on empowering and educating young people in the Urban Villages areas. How crucial is education to the success of young people in these areas?
Gary Middleton: Education is key to the success of young people in the Urban Village areas, right across from investing in early years, through primary to post-primary, and in the context of youth work.
The Urban Villages Initiative works in partnership with the Education Authority on a number of schools projects. Together with the support of the Arts Council, Community Relations in Schools (CRIS) ‘Buddy Up!’ programme, Schools of Sanctuary, and Our Generation, all of the programmes offer children and young people something extra. These programmes complement the curriculum and use creativity to engage and build connections across schools and communities. They are tackling the rise in mental health issues for children and young people, and they are raising self-esteem, increasing confidence and skills.
We are investing in the schools and the teachers, as well as the community led youth programmes, to support these young people to have the capacity to create their own futures, different from that which is often associated with these areas and schools, and the stigma that can limit their opportunity. These programmes open up new possibilities for young people, to think differently about what the world of work might look like for them, and importantly, about being the best that they can be, and living better together.
You can vote in this year's Urban Villages People's Choice Award here
