Congratulations to representatives from the Community and Voluntary sector who received their OCN certificates on passing their ‘Community Capacity Building Course’ delivered by Laura O’Dowd from Northern Ireland Tenants Action Project (NITAP).
In total there were 17 participants who completed the course. (15 have since progressed to Level II) Pictured above with the Mayor Roberta Dunlop, Kieron O’Loane (NDAI) Laura O’Dowd and Pat Bowen (NITAP) are some of the community representatives from areas:- Bloomfield, Kilcooley, Clandeboye, Breezemount and two NDCN workers. Participants from the Simon Community, Men’s Action Project and Whitehill Community Association also completed the course and received their certificates.
Topics covered included :- Functions of Teams and Meetings, Fundraising, Managing Funds, Evaluation, Communication Skills, Engaging the Media, Negotiation Skills, Effective Lobbying, Dealing with Anti-Social Behaviour.

Members of the North Down Community Network Management Committee on their recent tour of Stormont Buildings, organised by Ald. Lesley Cree MLA and Network member Irene Cree.

NIHE’s Housing Community Networks from North Down and Lisburn on a joint fact finding visit to four Glasgow Community Health Initiatives, on the 30th and 31st March.
The first stop was the Community Health Shop in Greater Easter House where the project operates a ‘One Stop Shop’ which is community led and community directed providing health orientated services free to those who live or work in the area. The next stop was the Cambuslang and Rutherglen Community Health Initiative in South Lanarkshire, working in partnership with local communities and statutory and voluntary organisations to support health-based activities.
The group also visited the Gorbals Healthy Living Initiative.
Last but not least was the Chinese Healthy Living Centre in Glasgow town centre, the Centre was established due to language and cultural differences which can often make it difficult for Chinese people to find out about and use health services, the organisation encourages the wider community to drop into the Centre to find out more about Chinese culture.
Each individual initiative warmly welcomed the 35 members of both Housing Community Networks, taking the time to explain their projects through a series of presentations and tours. The groups have come away with lots of new ideas and contacts and have invited their newfound Glasgow associates to come over to Lisburn and North Down for a return visit.
This project was organised by Pat Bowen of NITAP and funded through the Down Lisburn Trust, Wellnet, NIHE, Community Foundation for Northern Ireland and Lisburn City Council with assistance from the North Down Community Network.