Northern Ireland Community Relations Council - About Us - Council Minutes

19 April 2005

Communication Committee Meeting

Tuesday 19 April 2005, 2.30 pm

Present: Eamonn McCartan, Robin Wilson, Frances McCandless, Michael Wardlow

In attendance: Duncan Morrow, Ray Mullan, Maurna Crozier, Ellana Tomasso

1 Apologies

Apologies were received from Maureen Hetherington.

2 Minutes of 12 October 2004

The minutes were approved.

3 Minutes of 8 December 2004

Ref Item 5 – the Media Grant Scheme would continue on the same themes as in 2004 and would also be dedicated to documentary film-making on issues of race and ethnicity.

With the above addition the minutes were approved.

4 Matters Arising from 8 December Minutes

Dr Morrow informed the Committee that co-options would now be decided in the context of the Shared Future requirements for the new Council. It was, however, recognised by the Committee that someone from a visual arts/cultural diversity background was required.

5 Chair's Business

5.1

Mr McCartan explained to the Committee that due to pressure of work coming from the recommendations in Shared Future he would be stepping down as Chair. As the Chair must be a Council member Maureen Hetherington was nominated as the next Chair. Her appointment will now go to full Council to be ratified.

5.2 Membership

Nominations for membership onto the Communications Committee will be dealt with at the next meeting.

6 Publications Grant Scheme

It had previously been agreed by the Committee that the Publications Grant Scheme would particularly welcome publications related to community relations training, education and taught programmes. Organisations that are dealing with community relations focused training should be encouraged to apply for funding from this scheme. Organisations would also be welcome to apply for funding to publish relevant research in an accessible form.

6.1 Appeals Procedure

There is a grant appeals procedure in place that covers all grant schemes.

7 Communications Strategy

CRC needs a commitment from OFMDFM on the level of funding that will be available to roll out a communications strategy. To promote community relations issues through TV advertising, billboards, posters will cost a considerable amount of money. Therefore there needs to be some co-ordination with OFMDFM on what they are planning to do in their strategy and what CRC can therefore do without duplication of messages or bombarding the public with community relations issues.

Dr Morrow agreed to set up a meeting at a senior level in OFMDFM to find out what their plans are for the advertising campaign and to see if CRC can progress their communications strategy.

Dr Morrow also agreed to ask Billy Gamble from OFMDFM to come and talk about the Communications Strategy at the next Communications Committee meeting.

It was agreed that it was important to connect the Communications Strategy to the Shared Future and that more work needed to be carried out on the key messages. Mr McCartan suggested that members of the Committee meet, with CRC staff, to progress these more quickly by meeting outside of the normal Committee meetings. He suggested that it would be good to ask Trevor Ringland along to this as Chair of One Small Step.

8 Community Relations Week

Mr Mullan told the Committee that the media coverage of CR Week was on a par with last year's with 180 articles in newspapers, 4 TV interviews and 12 radio interviews.

He told the committee that the week was very successful and that the quality of range of the events was very high. This year there was good participation from voluntary and statutory agencies and that a close relationship was forming with public sector bodies. Organisations are asking CRC if they can take part during the week.

It was suggested that CRC should engage at a senior level with the BBC and UTV. One aim would be to persuade them to be more fully involved in covering Community Relations Week next year.

Mr McCartan congratulated Mr Mullan on the success of the week and thanked him for his hard work and dedication in ensuring such a positive and worthwhile range of events.

9 Date of Next Meeting

2 June 2005 (12.30 pm for 1pm)

15 September 2005 in Derry