Independent voice for community/voluntary sector Website: viewdigital.org
Issue 11, 2013
VIEW
VIEW, issue 11, 2013
Homeless plea
Website: viewdigital.org
CONTENTS
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Theatre call
Pages 4-5 Sandra Moore of Welcome (right) appeals for assistance after homeless centre in west Belfast is destroyed
Pages 12-13 Smashing Times theatre company is looking for people to attend its workshop later this month
Hate crimes
Suicide report
Pages 6-7 The justice system in Northern Ireland is ill equipped to deal with racists attack, a conference was told. Lucy Gollogly reports
Pages 16-17 VIEW talks to ChildLine and NICCY following the launch of a recent report on adolescent suicides in Northern Ireland
Novel talks
Carnival beat
Pages 18-19 The Beat Carnival has come a long way in 20 years. Willis McBriar talks to Beat Initiative director David Boyd (above)
Pages 10-11 The Carnegie Trust UK held a recent meeting at the Falls Road library to discuss the way forward for communities
Editorial
VIEW, the online publication for the community/voluntary sector in Northern Ireland.
VIEW associate Andrena Logue – marketing consultant
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t this time of year, many of us typically turn our attention to setting new resolutions, in anticipation of fresh beginnings. This of course will appear something of a paradox across the community and voluntary sector, as the proposed reforms to the welfare system begin to impact in the coming months. The only certainty facing the sector and the groups it works with is further belt tightening. The widening gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” is a theme that has resonated through 2012, within both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, as respective governments wield their axe to some of the most socially vulnerable, in the name of economic recovery.
Charities are being squeezed at both ends, struggling to balance reduced resources with an increased need for their services. CEOs in turn are being called on to innovate and differentiate, whilst keeping services rooted to their local community. The team at VIEW has therefore decided to broaden our scope, and report on issues of concern, and responses to cut-backs within the Republic of Ireland. On a more positive note, there are clear examples of cross-border initiatives within the community and voluntary sector, where innovation and collaboration are paying dividends. We believe that this extended coverage will offer you the opportunity to learn how other organisations steer through the additional
challenges that emerge through the year, share ideas, and network with your peers. Amidst this increased austerity, charities are now expected to show greater transparency in how they operate. Building and sustaining a positive perception, and in turn a support base, is arguably more critical than ever, and requires careful planning. VIEW recognises this challenge, and aims to support the sector in its initiatives to up-skill. We will initially focus on digital communications and outreach, two important areas in raising awareness to potential volunteers, new employees, and funding sources. VIEW looks forward to meeting and working with as many of you as possible through the year.
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VIEW, issue 11, 2013
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Profile
We talk to Fiona McCabe, chief executive of Headway Belfast, which helps people living with an acquired brain injury, about her work and the challenges facing the organisation. (headwayni.org)
1, How long have you been in your present position?
NI delivering professional therapies to survivors of brain injury.
I joined Headway Belfast in January 2010.
7, Why did you decide to set up a new programme for survivors of acquired brain injury aged 16-20?
2, What attracted you to this position? I was particularly attracted to the challenge of growing and giving direction to a relatively small and underdeveloped charity. Having worked in some of the largest charities in NI, I was excited at the prospect of developing professional services for a client group whose disability is largely invisible. I saw at first hand very early in my career the devastation that brain injury can have on both survivors and their families. 3, What are the main challenges facing Headway? A big challenge for the organisation is to continue to develop innovative services that meet the very distinct needs of the brain injured population at different stages of their rehabilitation and life journey. A one size fits all approach does not meet the complex and multiple needs of individuals with acquired brain injury and the challenge is to deliver flexible but tailored services cost effectively. 4, Has there been an overall improvement in the quality of life of people in Northern Ireland who have brain injuries compared to the past? There has certainly been significant development in the past 10 years but much remains to be done. 5, How common are brain injuries in Northern Ireland? Reliable data is notoriously difficult to gather on Acquired Brain Injury due to the method of recording primary injuries during hospital admissions. However, it is estimated that there are approximately 2000 new cases of brain injury every year in NI. 6, Is the future of Headway secure in terms of funding or is it a constant struggle to maintain services? We are now less reliant on government funding; less than one third of our income comes from statutory services at present and we have worked hard in recent years to diversify and grow our income streams to develop new services. However, competition remains high for funds from all sources and that’s unlikely to diminish in light of the increased demand made on charities in these tougher times. We are in a fortunate position that we are the only charity in
Rehabilitation services for young people with brain injury after hospital discharge has generally been inadequate and there has been an acute lack of tailored and age specific services for survivors of brain injury in NI. Brain injury can have a devastating impact regardless of age, but young people especially face multiple challenges, because a brain injury complicates their normal developmental process, interrupts the young person's life and can affect his or her abilities that in many ways make growing up harder. The ‘Younger Person’s Network ‘ offers young people a intensive programme of personal development with pyschological, practical and physical supports to facilitate an easier transition to adulthood after head injury. 8, Are adequate services in place to assist families and carers? Families and carers are certainly the second casualty after their loved one sustains a brain injury. Our organisation offers counselling, information and education to families but our focus in recent years has been on service development for survivors and it is an area that will take priority in future. 9, What is the best and most difficult aspects of your role? The best part of the job is hearing how our services have made a difference to the quality of life of our service users.The most difficult is taking a phone call and being unable to offer services or therapy to survivors of brain injury if they are not within our current geographical reach. 10, Do you have a favourite book and film. A tough decision. Amongst my all time favourites are Shawshank Redemption and DH Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers –but I still cannot watch a film or read any book twice. 11, If you could be or do anything else – what would it be? Since my early 20s I have always wanted to work in the charity sector, but if I wasn’t doing this I could see myself running a travel business to meet the needs of another passion – holidays.
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Call for help after fire de
Hundreds of homeless people in Belfast face wintry weather without the Welcome centre – which has been destroyed in a fire. VIEW editor Brian Pelan asked Sandra Moore, the director of Welcome how the organisation will cope
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andra Moore, director of the Welcome organisation in Belfast which provides a vital lifeline for homeless people, spoke of her devastation after a fire, which broke out in the early hours of January 13, destroyed their centre off the Falls Road. “We provide all of the basic facilities, hot food, obviously shelter, warmth, a community place for homeless people and rough sleepers to go to during the day. We look after the day time homeless as well as the rough sleepers, but increasingly we also help people who are living on the margins and would be homeless if it wasn’t for our service. “We deliver the absolute basics – food, showers, clothes – but that is underpinned by support such as access to medical services. While this centre is the hub of our operation our drop-in service for females and our street outreach service will be able to operate more or less unaffected, which is a blessing. “We have lost our computers we can’t get in to the centre because it is a crime scene, but I can see through the window that we have lost this whole office completely; all of our IT equipment, our broadband, our telephones – which are central to the service – getting people into temporary accommodation. It really is a real bad blow to us. After being in this community for more than 16 years it is dreadful to be leaving under such a cloud. I’m still quite numb I dare say the hurt and upset will set in later. “But to see the pain on our clients’ faces who I was turning away at 8am today was heart breaking. Also what shocked me is that I would probably have expected to have seen a response of anger but it was sheer hurt and desolation. This too many is their only community place – the only community space in Belfast where people are accepted where they are at, having been excluded from so many places. This is a lifeline to many people. “This is their community place, this is as close for a lot of people for what they have to family at this time. And you can guess what it is like to lose your family home. It is heartbreaking. There was a wonderful atmosphere, camaraderie, a real sense of community, a warm feeling here. “I haven’t had time to be really upset today. I got the contingency plan into action and kept going but the other thing that struck me has been that my phone hasn’t stopped ringing. I have been overwhelmed by the number of people who have contacted me asking what can we do?” If VIEW readers can help Sandra get computers, phones and broadband to get the Welcome centre up and running they should contact her at sandra.moore3@btopenworld.com or call 028 90 240424.
Sandra Moore outside the burnt out Welcome homeless centre i
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estroys homeless centre
n west Belfast
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“I find it difficult to accept how told to return to your ‘native’ ho
Cover of Race and Criminal Justice report and Dr Robbie McVeigh, author of the report, left, with Patrick Yu, Executive Directo Deputy Head, Service Improvement Department, PSNI
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n offence of racially aggravated crime should be introduced in Northern Ireland, a report by the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities (NICEM) has urged. The Race and Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland report, which was launched at the NICEM conference on January 11, said the justice system here is so ill equipped to deal with racist attacks that it “remains wide open to accusations of institutional racism”. The study said a key problem is the lack of prosecutions under hate crime legislation, which was introduced in 2004 to protect groups including ethnic minorities, the disabled and gay people. There is no specific race crime legislation in Northern Ireland. “While there is some evidence of the PSNI re-addressing serious crimes in which they had previously denied a racist motive, the NICEM experience is that too often the racial element in crime is denied or underplayed,” it said. As a result, many incidents are being prosecuted as assaults or murders, with the hate motivation being dropped. If a hate motivation can be proved in court, the defendant may receive an in-
Only 12 out of 13,655 hate-motivated incidents reported in Northern Ireland in the last five years were prosecuted. journalist Lucy Gollogly reports creased sentence. Figures included in the report showed only 12 out of 13,655 hate-motivated incidents reported in the last five years were prosecuted under hate crime legislation. The report’s author, Dr Robbie McVeigh, said his understanding was that none of these 12 cases had involved race hate. He said: “That’s quite shocking in terms of a place that has been identified as the race hate capital of Europe.” PSNI figures show south Belfast has the worst incidence of racially motivated crime, thought to partly reflect where most foreign nationals live. The report details the devastating experience of some NICEM clients, both in terms of the attacks themselves and the response of the
criminal justice agencies. One person told researchers of their distress after their daughter was targeted by racists. “I find it difficult to accept how being called a Paki and being told to return to your ‘native’ home is not racially motivated. How can an incident that resulted in my daughter having a broken nose, stitches, bruising all over her body, being called ‘a Paki’ and told to go back home throughout the assault not have a racial connotation?” The report comes more than six years after another NICEM study urged a radical overhaul of how the entire justice system deals with racist violence. It called for reforms similar to those implemented in England and Wales after the murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993. Dr McVeigh said was “fair to say” that the
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w being called a Paki and being ome is not racially motivated’
or of NICEM, Brendan McGuigan, Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland, Chief Superintendent Mark Hamilton, Image: Kevin Cooper lessons set out by the 1999 Macpherson report into Stephen’s murder have not been implemented in Northern Ireland. “There’s no question that the levels of violence and the intensity of violence that we identified six years ago really haven’t changed very much,” he said. So the profound problems there are in terms of racist violence and the way it’s been policed haven’t changed in any positive way.” The report says the PSNI in particular have made some progress in tackling hate crime and Dr McVeigh said they now provide “very good and very accessible” data on racially motivated incidents. He added: “But more generally the overarching review of how the criminal justice system approaches race hasn’t happened.” However, Dr McVeigh said he believed that the Justice Minister David Ford is committed to tackling the issue. Chief Superintendent Mark Hamilton said that the Macpherson report had had a “massive impact” on policing in Northern Ireland. He said the PSNI are currently reviewing how they deal with hate crime, and are providing better training for frontline officers among other measures.
However, he said, the police are being thwarted by the lack of witnesses coming forward to support victims of hate crime. He said a long-standing “veil of fear” is still stopping people talking to the police in Northern Ireland. He added: “Anecdotally I can tell you that in
‘The lessons set out by the 1999 Macpherson report into Stephen’s Lawrence’s murder have not been implemented in Northern Ireland’ very few hate crime cases I’ve experienced there is a lot of supporting witness evidence. Quite often what you have is a victim’s story and then any physical evidence that we can recover from
the scene and that’s it.” Some racist attacks – including the “ethnic cleansing” of more than 40 Polish residents from south Belfast in 2009 after clashes at a Northern Ireland/Poland football match – have been linked to loyalist paramilitaries. Chief Superintendent Hamilton said he didn’t believe racist violence was being orchestrated by loyalist paramilitaries, although he said it would be “hardly surprising” if some individual members were involved. The mother of Stephen Lawrence, Doreen Lawrence, had been due to speak at the conference but pulled out after her son Stuart made a compliant of racial harassment to the Metropolitan police. However, in the speech she had planned to give delegates, she said: “More than ever, there is a greater urgency to bring about change, to ensure that our society is ‘fit for purpose’ – to all, not just the privileged, the educated, the higher social classes, but those who reside on the periphery too – all deserve to have access to services and to justice in this progressive society. That would be the most fitting legacy to Stephen.”
Practical advice and a sensitive personal approach. We pride ourselves on our unrivalled commitment to clients’ needs.
Edwards & Co. solicitors advises charities and the voluntary sector in Northern Ireland on a wide range of legal issues including charity creation, charitable status and constitutional matters, trading and commercial arrangements, employment law, finance, fundraising and property law, as well as dealing with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Our team offers a full range of legal services including mediation, criminal law, clinical negligence and personal injury claims, as well as family/matrimonial work.
Contact Jenny and Teresa: Edwards & Co. Solicitors, 28 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LA. Tel: (028) 9032 1863 Email: info@edwardsandcompany.co.uk Web: edwardsandcompany.co.uk
Get connected in 2013
Una Murphy, co-founder of VIEW, coordinates our digital and broadcast media workshops. She has produced and directed programmes for UTV, TG4, RTE and BBC, reported for The Daily Mirror and The Irish Times, and worked on media campaigns for Save the Children Northern Ireland and CARDI, The Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland. She has also taught journalism courses.
Louise Friel has over 22 years’ experience as a consultant and trainer. Currently running her own business, she is a freelance trainer with several organisations, including BT Training Solutions. She also delivers workshops and seminars on topics including Social Media, and Web and Email marketing tools. An accredited Microsoft Master Instructor, accredited ECDL and Advanced ECDL tester,
Willis McBriar is a former BBC broadcast engineer and trainer. He is a member of the Northern Ireland Skills Panel of Creative Skillset, representing the training needs of BECTU members, and working particularly on behalf of new joiners in the media industry. He is also a Web Editor for BECTU, and a mentor for Coder Dojo in Belfast. Willis has an MSc in Educational Multimedia.
Brian Pelan, co-founder and editor of VIEW, has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist, including working for the Belfast Telegraph, the Western Mail in Cardiff, and the Examiner group in Cork. His skills include editing, design and writing. Brian is also lecturing at the Belfast Met to students enrolled on the National Council for Training of Journalists course.
Kathleen Holmlund has managed major human rights media outreach programmes and campaigns in Washington, DC, between 2004-2010. More recently, she has developed and expanded online media strategies for new and established brands. She has also facilitated workshops and conducted training on media outreach in Europe. She is a visiting lecturer at the University of Ulster.
Julia Paul worked as an on-air reporter with BBC radio and television in the UK for 18 years. She has also worked abroad, including as a journalist for the United Nation’s Department of Public Information in New York, has carried out journalistic training in Afghanistan, and media training in Switzerland. She lectures on the Broadcast Literacy MA at Queen’s University.
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IEW is delighted to announce the launch of our programme of social and broadcast media workshops, geared towards providing practical skills support to the Community and Voluntary sector across Ireland. In keeping with our intention to engage with all levels of professional within the sector, our workshops have been designed to meet the specific needs of those who may be taking on a more communications-oriented role, or who need to fine-tune at a tactical or strategic level, through to executives who already hold high profile media roles, but would like to apply new presenting techniques, or even move into in-house
multimedia production and digital publishing. Some of these workshops have already been tested and rolled out, whilst others have been added by request. Delivered by experienced practitioners, VIEW focuses very much on hands-on learning, so that you can return to the office armed with a clear set of standards to apply in your day-to-day work. Available either on a stand-alone basis, part of a group of related workshops, or a more condensed and strategic set of Master Classes, we will incorporate a blend of “best practice” across the technical, digital, and creative worlds. Managing your organisation’s profile and
reputation across all stakeholder groups has arguably never been more critical. VIEW can help you ensure that your strategic communications planning is aligned across all internal units, your media outreach programme is managed at your comfort level, and your followers are in tune with all your great work throughout the year. For more specific details, please go to our newly launched website on viewdigital.org or contact VIEW media training co-ordinator Una Murphy at unamurphy@viewdigital.org
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Falls Library plays host to novel talks
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Carnegie facilitates discussion on the way forward for community and voluntary sector
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range of representative individuals from the community and voluntary sector met at the end of last year to discuss The Enabling State – a discussion paper, written by Carnegie Fellow, Sir John Elvidge Sir John, who was accompanied by the chief executive of the Carnegie UK Trust, Martyn Evans, outlined the themes in his paper at the Falls Library on the Falls Road in west Belfast. The meeting was then thrown open to hear a range of views on the state of the community and voluntary sector in Northern Ireland and what the future might hold for it. Sir John in his paper said: “This document is the start of our Enabling State project, not the end. In the process of debate around the UK and Ireland we hope to draw out the areas of agreement and highlight where there are tensions. “The Carnegie UK Trust wishes to generate further debate on these issues across the UK and Ireland, and possibly beyond, about a set of questions and ideas. This document sets out to stimulate that debate, rather than to prescribe a set of answers, but it does embody a broad analysis. By exploring differences and similarities across the UK and Ireland, we believe we can better understand what this debate means.” The essential points of our analysis are: 1) Change − fundamental change is required in the way we think
‘Communities should be free to determine what is it they want to do’ about the relationships between communities, families and individuals and the state if we are to continue to improve wellbeing in our society. 2) Communitarianism − giving a central place in our thinking to the capacity for communities, families and individuals to provide mutual support and self-help is the most convincing way to add to the wellbeing we have now. 3) Continued Public Services − effective public services make a valuable contribution to our present wellbeing. We do not wish to lose our understanding of the value of those services, but we should acknowledge what we have learnt from the period since the introduction of the Welfare State about what they do not provide or do not provide well. 4) Enabling State − the state has a vital future role in enabling the capacity of communities, families and individuals to grow wellbeing, in addition to maintaining an underpinning framework of excellent public services. This would require the state to mould itself around that capacity and respond to it, both in facilitating the growth of non-state capacity and in the way it organises the important continuing contribution of public services. Carnegie UK Trust Chief Executive, Martyn Evans: “As an organisation that works across the UK and Ireland we are pleased to be able to encourage more sharing of innovative policy ideas between governments. Through a series of events and publications we hope that the work Sir John is leading will help stimulate debate on the future of public services.” The project involves the publication of discussion papers, a series of roundtable events and interviews with senior government staff undertaken by Sir John. The final report and recommendations of the inquiry are due to be published in March 2013.
Martyn Evans, chief executive of the Carnegie UK Trust, left, with Ca
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arnegie Fellow Sir John Elvidge
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Image: Kevin Cooper
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Come and join us fo
Reaching out: Participants at a previous workshop organised by the Smashing Times Theatre Company
By Lucy Gollogly
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theatre company is looking for people interested in exploring the role of women in post-conflict societies for a workshop in Co Donegal later this month. Smashing Times Theatre Company is running the creative seminar – called Women: Peacemakers or Agitators – at the Abbey Arts and Cultural Centre in Ballyshannon on Saturday,
January 26. The Dublin-based professional theatre company’s patrons include the writers Brian Friel, Tim Pat Coogan and Robert Kee. The workshop is part of Smashing Times’ Creative Connections project, and is funded by the PEACE III programme through the Donegal County Development Board Peace and Reconciliation Partnership. Elaine Cronin, Smashing Times’ project coordinator, said, “This is a wonderful
opportunity to explore gender in the context of conflict and peace-building, participate in high-quality drama workshops, see a professional actor read new plays in development, and take part in an in-depth post-reading discussion.” Smashing Times manager Freda Manweiler said they wanted to encourage discussion about women’s roles through the use of drama. “Women tend to be presented mostly as either peacemakers or passive recipients. We
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or a Smashing time
want to find a way to highlight the diversity of roles that women take on in conflict and post-conflict societies,” she said. Ms Manweiler said the organisers were keen for those taking part to get up out of their seats and become actively involved. “We’re interested in the use of the creative processes to engage people. We would have some ideas around how physical activity can open up mental activity. It’s a more liberating format,” she said.
“A lot of the techniques we use provide people with a forum for expression. It might not always be verbal expression – it can be done through images and it gives people the opportunity to express themselves. It might be the first step in the process of actually talking about something. But if you don’t talk, it’s fine too.” Speakers on the day will include Charo Lanao, Commissioner for the Equality Commission in Northern Ireland, and Idan Meir from the joint Israeli-Palestinian movement Combatants
for Peace group. The workshop is free to attend and lunch will be provided. To book for a place at the workshop in Donegal, register at smashingtimes.eventbrite.ie. For further details phone Smashing Times Theatre Company on 00353 (0)1 8656613 or send an email to elaine@smashingtimes.ie.
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The Big Picture The Lords of Lightning Show which opened the Welcome 2013 New Year’s Eve celebrations at the Queens Quay Derry as part of the city’s Year of Culture Image Martin McKeown. If you would like your community/ voluntary organisation to be selected for The Big Picture in the next issue of VIEW, send images to editorial@viewdigital.org
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Call for joint approach in offering help to troubled youngsters
VIEW editor Brian Pelan talks to Mairead McCafferty, Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People and Sharon Bayliss (Operations Manager, who oversees ChildLine activity at the NSPCC) about the recent launch of an adolescent suicide report
Support: Mairead McCafferty, Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, left, and Sharon Bayliss, Operations Manager at ChildLine, Northern Ireland, Image: Kevin Cooper VIEW: Can you tell our readers about the significance of your recent report on adolescent suicides? Mairead: The one big message is that when we are looking at childhood adversity and the longer term adversities that happen in a child’s life are in a sense almost indicators that a child will have difficulties as an adolescent and in later teenage years, so we are looking at issues around for example, young people who may have been subjected to abuse, maybe looking at the legacy of domestic violence, maybe looking at the legacy of living in social and economic deprivation, maybe having a parent that they’ve lost, maybe looking at alcohol and drug misuse as well. The research found that when you have a combination and a multiplicity of these factors, and they are long-term, that it will very often result in a child ending their life through suicide. We are also aware that there are higher levels of adolescent suicides in Northern Ireland than anywhere else in the UK. Sharon: What’s we’ve witnessed at Childline echoes what this report is saying. We’ve had a recent report which looked at what children talk to ChildLine about. We’ve had a 68 per cent increase in self-harm calls and a 39 per cent rise
in contacts about suicide. The calls and online interactions are getting younger and younger – we’re getting nine-year-olds contacting us about self-harm. VIEW: Why do you think there has been an increase in the number of calls to ChildLine? Sharon: It’s probably partly due to our confidentiality and campaigning. Our confidentiality threshold is really important to children, that they know they can come and talk to. If we thought they may do something that’s going to cause them serious harm, we would try and work with the child to seek some support, either from the police, talk to an adult who is immediately next to them or ultimately we will contact Social Services and get help to the child straight away. Mairead: It’s a very complex issue in looking at what makes a young person contemplate suicide? And yes, there will be family pressures. For example, it may be the result of social and economic pressures. The levels of resilience a young person has to acquire as they go through life to be able to deal with various crises that happen at various points in their lives sometimes can be
missing. But it will depend on if there’s a chronic issue, for example if they’ve lost a parent in early childhood or if they are subject to abuse. So there are lots of different reasons. Why we think it’s higher in Northern Ireland is probably debateable. For example, we look at the legacy of the conflict as a possible factor. I would be reluctant to say that there is one answer because it is very complex. It’s very much about the pressures on a young person’s life and whether or not we’re able to build that early coping mechanism in a child’s life and early resilience so that when they do hit problems later on, that they can deal with them. Sharon: What we do find at ChildLine is that it is predominately girls that seek support. VIEW: Is that because boys are more reticent to come forward? Sharon: Potentially yes. What helps though is online counselling. So it’s that one step removed – that is helping. They’re not actually physically talking to someone on the phone but they’re emailing someone instantly and that really helps them. And what’s we’ve also been doing is targeting young men and boys through the likes of Facebook.
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VIEW: What sort of ages in terms of those looking for help are contacting ChildLine? Sharon: We’re seeing the issues are arising are around the 14-16 to 17-year-old age group, Self harm issues are peaking in this age group. What we’re also seeing in ChildLine in NI is that a lot of young men are taking their own lives. VIEW: The report is very laudable. but is it an uphill struggle in the current economic climate? Can you really make a difference? Mairead: Obviously, people tend to shy away from anything that might cost more money because as you say the funding pot is shrinking generally. But what you can do is use the
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existing funding you have more cleverly. We have to look at what resources are already out there and this is about having an integrated approach to making sure that we make a difference to these children and young people. If we’re serious about wanting to make an impact, if we’re serious about wanting to reduce the levels of suicide in this society, then we need to look at what we can do together to address that effectively. VIEW: Is there a call going out to the community and voluntary sector to have a joint approach to the problem of adolescent suicides. Mairead: It isn’t just the community and voluntary sector – the statutory sector needs to work with the community and voluntary sector.
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But one of the most important things coming through in the report that we’re produced is if we’re looking at early intervention, we need to be able to identify the indicators that can eventually lead to young people ending their lives through suicide. So we need to be looking at that model of early intervention in a child’s life and to look at those longer-term multiple adversities. That in itself is going to save money because if you invest the money when they’re young it will help in the longer term. Sharon: What we’ve done in our Facebook campaigns is to encourage children to talk to a counsellor. We are seeing more and more young young people contacting us. We’ve also reviewed training for all of our counsellors who will be getting enhanced suicide awareness training which will be rolled out this year.
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Why the Beat of Carnival is good for our soul By Willis McBriar
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he Beat Carnival has come a long way in just under 20 years. When it started out in 1994, Belfast had never hosted a Riostyle Samba carnival, drummers went to ‘band nights’ not workshops and an inclusive St Patrick’s Day parade was something that happened in New York. Last year, Beat was involved in four major projects in Belfast. The first was the St Patrick’s Day Parade. In six years, Beat helped to make the event more representative of both communities. Also a ‘Land of Giants’ performance in which Beat and their partners secured £750,000 from the Legacy Trust UK for a one-off community celebration on the Titanic slipways. Alongside the Land Of Giants production, Beat also worked with LOG partners Belfast Community Circus to co-create Journey To The Land Of Giants, a large-scale touring show with 65 young people and professional performers. Finally, in November, Beat created the closing event of the Belfast Festival and a celebration for it’s 50th anniversary: a new outdoor cultural experience based on the Mexican ‘Day of the Dead’. David Boyd, Beat’s founder director and pioneer of carnivals in Belfast and inclusive drumming, said: “I used carnival in a fragmented Belfast to bring people together – specifically because it wasn’t part of our local culture and it wasn’t owned by one side or the other here. Carnival is a large-scale, participatory street activity that is welcoming and creative. Everything else that was happening when people expressed culture on the streets, and we seem to be revisiting those times, was celebratory for one community but not for all – and often became threatening and confrontational.” Carnival was an immediate success and with its strong visual and ‘feel-good’ presence, agencies such as the Tourist Board and Belfast City Council have used resulting images of happy people on the streets to promote a new positive face of Belfast and Northern Ireland. Unfortunately though, particularly at this time when street trouble is again erupting, Belfast City Council has ended its core stake in what became ‘The Belfast City Carnival’. Another consequence of the council’s decision is that Beat will not be producing the Belfast St. Patrick’s Day Parade this year. Beat is determined, however, to produce a fresh form of independent Carnival in June, despite having to run a large building, which incorporates a soundproofed drumming studio, construction workshops, wardrobe and a store for giant floats, on a shoe-string budget. Is David optimistic about the future? “Yes. We wouldn’t be doing this work if there was not widespread community support and desire for it. “What we are doing would have been challenging six months ago anyway: it is slightly more challenging now”
David Boyd, founder-director at The Beat Initiative with one o
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of the displays used in the ‘Day of the Dead’ carnival at the Belfast Festival
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‘My life was totally transformed the day I met the Prince’s Trust’ VIEW editor Brian Pelan talks to Charlotte Crothers, who has overcome many hurdles, after coming into contact with a member of the Prince’s Trust
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recent report by the Prince’s Trust revealed that one in 10 young people in Northern Ireland feel they cannot cope with day-to-day life. Ian Jeffers, regional director of The Prince’s Trust in Northern Ireland, said: “We know at The Prince’s Trust that it is often those from the most vulnerable backgrounds who end up furthest from the job market. Life can become a demoralising downward spiral - from a challenging childhood into life as a jobless adult. But, with the right support, we can help get these lives on track across the region.” Co Antrim woman Charlotte Crothers was one such young woman who was able to turn her life around after meeting a Jobs Ambassador for the Prince’s Trust.. “I left school at 16 with two GCSEs. I then went and done a beauty and therapy course for two years. At the start of last year I left and became unemployed. “I was in the jobs and benefits office one day when I met a Jobs Ambassador for a Prince’s Trust youth programme. He spoke to me about the benefits of it and how it worked in helping young people.
‘I had lost a lot confidence and my motivation was out the window’ “I said 'yes' but when I went home I was very anxious about it. It would mean going into a room of completely new people. At that time I had lost a lot of confidence in myself and my motivation was completely out the window. “My family and my boyfriend persuaded me to give it a go. I went to a Princes Trust team programme in Newtownabbey and I loved it. “My confidence started to improve and I started to lose my shyness. We done a range of community projects. “The programme ran for 12 weeks. At the end of it my confidence had been restored. I was then put in touch with Springboard who work with young people as I wanted to get more qualifications. Part of that involved going to South Africa to work on an anti-bullying scheme. When I came back home I got re-involved with the Princes' Trust. Charlotte is now just starting as a Jobs Ambassador for one year with the Prince's Trust. Her role will now be to encouage young people to do something with their lives. “When I left school I had two qualifications, I now have 14. I also intend to go to university in the future. My message to young people is Her message is you can achieve anything you want.” Contact Prince’s Trust at 0800 842 842
Inspirational: Charlotte Crothers who is now working as a Jobs Ambassador for the Prince’s Trust
VIEW, issue 11, 2013
Website: viewdigital.org
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Cooking up a treat: Five-year-old Jake Stanex from Belfast helps chef Danny Millar prepare for the Love to Share event in Killinchy’s Balloo House on January 31. Proceeds from the event will go towards NI Cancer Fund for Children which offers practical, emotional and financial support to local children with cancer and their families
Balloo House and chef Danny team up to raise funds for children’s cancer charity
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alloo House and chef, Danny Millar, have invited the public to share with them an evening of good quality local food, entertainment and handy cooking tips to raise money for Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children (NICFC). Award-winning chef Danny Millar has recently joined NICFC as a charity ambassador. Some may know Danny from his regular appearances on BBC One’s cooking show Saturday Kitchen and from the series ‘Great British Menu’, where he was the winner of the Northern Ireland region for two consecutive years. This year, Danny will be cooking up a storm, fundraising and promoting the work that the charity does in the local areas surrounding, Balloo House, Killinchy; The Parson’s Nose, Hillsborough; and Lisbarnett House, Lisbane; to support children, teenagers and young people who are affected by cancer. To launch this partnership, The Love to Share dining event at Balloo House, Killinchy, on January 31, provides an opportunity for
guests to experience Danny’s dishes that showcase the very best of local produce and have been recognised by the Good Food Guide UK, the Michelin Guide, the Observer Food Monthly Awards, Good Food Ireland Awards, the Bridgestone 100 Best Restaurants In Ireland and Georgina Campbell’s Best of the Best in Ireland first hand. Danny, who won the Best Chef in Ireland title at the Restaurant Association of Ireland Awards, will introduce each of his courses and provide hints and tips to inspire the perfect Valentine’s meal or dinner party. On the night, guests will be greeted with a champagne reception, and will also be able to pose their cooking Q&A’s to the chef. They will also be in line to win a variety of culinary raffle prizes that will be up for grabs. Speaking about the event, Danny said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be supporting Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children as a charity ambassador. “We’re launching our support with the “Love to Share" fundraising dinner. If you
love good quality, locally-sourced food with a warm welcome, and would like to get some top hints, tips and recipes that will inspire your senses and delight your palette, I would encourage to get a ticket and come along. “Not only will you enjoy delicious food and great entertainment, but you’ll also be supporting a fantastic cause.” Balloo Inns directors Ronan and Jennie Sweeney along with Danny Millar and are aiming to raise as much as possible for the charity throughout 2013. Commenting on the partnership, NICFC’s Corporate Fundraiser Sorcha Chipperfield, added: “I’m so grateful to Danny Millar and Balloo Inns for their support. Without the support from the local community and businesses, we simply couldn’t provide vital services to children living with cancer in Northern Ireland and their families.” Tickets are £25 per person – get yours now by calling Sorcha on 028 9080 5599 or email Sorcha@nicfc.com
VIEW, issue 11, 2013
Website: viewdigital.org
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Csilla puts the focus on ethnic minorities By Una Murphy
THE MAGAZINE FOCUSING ETHNIC NORTHERN T HE MA GAZINE FO C NG ON ET CUSI HNIC MINORITIES MINOR ORIT ES IN IN N ORTHERN IIRELAND RELAN A D
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silla Borbely from Hungary felt there wasn’t enough news and information for people from different ethnic backgrounds in Northern Ireland – so she set up her own magazine The magazine - Minority Focus – will connect communities of people from different ethnic backgrounds. “I feel as foreigner that I didn't have enough information when I got to Northern Ireland and thought it would be helpful to set up the magazine, Csilla said. “Each ethnic minority community group didn’t seem to know the other. The magazine will help people from ethnic minorities to promote their cultures.” Csilla said her experience growing up in Hungary was that of a “closed country”. “I think Northern Ireland is very similar to what Hungary was like then and is trying to open up more and more.” She decided to publish a lifestyle magazine in order to appeal to the widest possible audience among ethnic minorities in Northern Ireland. “I wanted to make the magazine talk to everybody within the ethnic minority communities from a teenage boy to an elderly lady”,
NOVEMBER NO VEMBER 2012 ISSUE ISSU SSUE 1
IN THIS ISSUE:
Being Mixed Race A Personal Journey from White to Black and Back by Charlotte Ulett
A study commissioned by ACSONI
Csilla Borbely, left, and right, the front cover of the new magazine Csilla said. The first issue includes a jerk chicken recipe, a children’s bedtime story from Poland, Indian fashion and the benefits of African-style baby-carrying, interviews with an ethnic minority pupil, the Children’s Commissioner and links to networking and advice agencies. Csilla is working with a team of volunteers and has received funding from the Community
How charity campaigns affect Africans in Northern Ireland
Personality of the month: Nisha Tandon Director of ArtsEkta
PLUS
Respecting Cultural Diversity by Community Relations Council
Cover photo by Jason Jacob
Relations Council. She now plans to start up a film project with people from a range of different ethnic backgrounds. For further details on the magazine email minority.focus@hotmail.com; or go to the website at http://www.minorityfocus.org
A sweet treat for winner of VIEW’s chocolate competition
Achievement: MLA Basil McCrea, fourth from left, front row, at the launch in Stormont of Open College Network NI as a national awarding organisation
Vibrant Open College Network is helping to change people’s lives Nearly 30, 000 learners throughout the island of Ireland get qualifications through an education charity based in Belfast – the Open College Network NI (OCN NI). Its origins are as an Education Library Board Project set up 30 years ago, now OCN NI runs a network of approved centres throughout Ireland OCN NI is Northern Ireland's first independent awarding organisation offering qualifications across all sectors and an Ofqual regulated national awarding organisation.
Brendan Clarke, OCN NI’s Chief Executive, said,: “We are an education charity and an
awarding body working with the community, with people and with businesses, creating qualifications that enable those communities, businesses and people to grow and develop.
“We help make people’s lives better.
“Working with employers, community or ganisations, Further Education, Schools, and Government we design, develop and award qualifications that make a difference to their lives,” said Mr Clarke. “This is a partnership between the learner, the approved centres and OCN NI, working together to make achievement a reality for hundreds of thousands of learners, he said. Watch one OCN NI learner’s story at http://bit.ly/TPt8b0. Colm McDonald took OCN NI courses through a charity VOYPIC – Voice of Young People In Care.
Chocolate Memories located in rural Co.Down is a social enterprise whose profits go to towards creating pathways to employment for adults with autism. The team of chocolatiers has been preparing a treat for VIEW reader Hannah Mayberry from Newtownards, Co Down who was picked at random by VIEW editor Brian Pelan as winner of a chocolate hamper. Thanks to all VIEW readers who took part in the competition.