Currently delivering Capacity Building and Leadership Project funded by Causeway Coast and Glens Peace IV Partnership

The post has been funded by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, Social Investment Fund – Building to Employment through Education and my role is to establish and maintain the financial and monitoring systems. I ensure that all funds allocated to the programme are effectively and efficiently accounted for in accordance with the plans and specifications as detailed in the project documents including the letter of offer, Project Initiation Document and Project Plan.

Employability Skills and Cultural Identity ProgrammeProject officer responsible for delivery of the Peace Impact Programme (PIP) in Coleraine. This programme was designed to deliver real and positive community transformation through sensitive interventions in communities that have not previously, or only partially, participated in peace building and reconciliation activities. Such interventions are critical to building a truly integrated, shared and peaceful society.Delivery of this project included delivery of an employability skills programme to single identity groups and capacity building support for project delivery and fundraising

Funded by the International Fund for Ireland and manged by Rural Development Council.Delivery of this programme included successfully initiating a community planning process for single identity cultural groups resulting in successful community education programmes involving eleven cultural groups and 980 individuals including the delivery of local history programmes including study visits, reminiscence programmes and dialogues on themes of positive expression of culture and history and its impact. Integral part of program was delivery of marshalling training program These groups had no previous collaboration or joint planning experience and the success of the programme is indicated by their continuing involvement and increased capacity for engagement. I also coordinated a public arts project linking three estates with a theme of Sporting legends. Community planning process was initiated and involved Community Organisations, Council Sports Development Department, PSNI, NEELB and Youth Inclusion Project. Matched funding was successfully leveraged funding from PSNI ARIS, Community Safety Partnership Coleraine Borough Council Good Relations and International Fund for Ireland. I also worked with communities to find solutions to bonfire management and flags issues and managed a large resource allocation to time and budget.

Provision of support and mentoring to individuals and groups from ethnically diverse backgrounds. Facilitation of good relations training to youth groups, schools and community groups. Co-facilitation of community dialogues and delivery of good relations workshops. Facilitation of good relations training workshops on themes of celebrating diversity and prejudice reduction. provision of sign-posting and advice to new citizens.

The Big Leap Project – April 2006 – August 2008 (Funded by Community Foundation for Northern Ireland through Peace II Extension)Key Achievements included provision of development support and mentoring to 14 community and voluntary groups in the West Bann Area of Coleraine. Facilitation of a local history project with a good relations emphasis between two primary schools and a group of pensioners which resulted in a publication ‘Buttons & Bows’. Delivery of two OCN Level 2 Accredited Community Development Training Courses ‘Community Development Work Skills’ and ‘Principles and Practices of Community Development’ to lcoal community leaders and volunteers. Delivery of a Good Relations Summer Intervention Project where we recruited young people into a documentary film project about their local boxing club. Facilitation of an Action Research Project where we trained local people to undertake their own research into ‘Public Attitudes to Chronic Alcoholism within the West Bann Area of Coleraine’ with support from the University of Ulster. Facilitated a range of community development themed training workshops on issues around good governance, fundraising strategies, dealing with conflict and committee skills.

Building Communities Project (Funded through Peace II )Key Achievements include the provision of development support and mentoring to community and voluntary groups in the West Bann Area of Coleraine. Facilitation of a range of community development themed training workshops. Facilitation of workshops to assist community and voluntary associations to design and implement project action plans. Created opportunities for active citizenship by supporting organisations to design, fund and implement small scale community based projects. Supported local organisations to start a Boxing Club, Youth Club, Youth Football Team and Pensioners Club in an area identified as having weak community infrastructure as well as developing seven new residents groups. Provided a range of personal and professional development opportunities for community activists through mentoring, personal development support and identification of volunteering opportunities.