OPENED in May of this year, the Grace Family Centre in North Belfast is already a hive of activity in the heart of the Ardoyne community.
The two-storey, purpose-built facility is run by Grace Women’s Development Limited.
It is providing people from the area with childcare for up to 60 children and boasts other facilities including a counselling suite, training rooms, offices and a café.
Funding for the project was provided by Belfast City Council, the Department for Communities and The Executive Office’s Urban Villages Initiative.
Sally Smyth, Centre Manager is proud of the bustling centre's deep links with the community. "We have core facilities such as a multi-purpose hall, training suite and a number of small offices for meetings or interviews," he said.
"GRACE stands for Growth, Resilience, Adaptability, Connectivity and Equality and we are driven by our mission to create a thriving family hub in the heart of the community.
"It has been a busy eight weeks since opening for all the groups and facilities. Blossom Daycare is a full daycare facility and we have the popular Wings of Hope Autism Support Group. We also host the Happy Hookers - an irrepressible group of women who meet to learn new skills such as knitting and crochet. It really helps them break down social isolation and loneliness."
The Happy Hookers group
Caroline Greer, owner and manager of Blossom Daycare says it has been an "exciting and demanding" couple of months.
"We have four rooms - baby (0-2), toddler (2-3), pre-school (3-4), after-school (P1 and up)," she explained. "Each room is designed to suit the age ranges and are open-planned which means the kids can really express themselves."
