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07 June 2010

The Housing Executive and members of the Housing Community Network recently celebrated the 2010 Community Relations Week by hosting an event to promote Good Relations and to mark the achievements of five community groups across Northern Ireland.

The Good Relations Awards scheme is funded jointly by the Housing Executive and the Community Relations Council. The awards were designed to provide community groups with the opportunity to practically bring to life the principles of the Housing Executive’s Good Relations policy.

Each of the winning groups will receive an award of £2,000 funded jointly by the Housing Executive and the Community Relations Council.  

Gerry Flynn from the Housing Executive said:

“A lot of excellent work is being done by our community groups and we hope that this small grant will contribute to making a real difference on the ground by increasing respect for diversity and develop relationships between and within communities.

The Housing Executive is delighted to be able to highlight in a practical way the invaluable contributions made by communities especially volunteers who work tireless to improve community relations and cohesion within their communities.

Commenting at the awards ceremony, Brian Holmes Director of Supporting Communities NI said:

“Community Groups warmly welcomed the 2010 Good Relations Awards and this year’s applications were of a high standard. The judging panel was very impressed this year by the commitment shown by volunteers to deliver Good Relations projects”.

This is the Third year of the 2009 Good Relations Projects Awards which is jointly funded by the Housing Executive and Community Relations Council.

The Award winners are:

• Lower Castlereagh Community Group:  Cultural Diversity event
• Carnagat Community Association: Working with the Traveler Community
• Cookstown Youth and Sports Club: Cross Community sports initiative.
• Ballykeel 1 Resident Association and Harryville Partnership:  Building relationship between Ballykeel and Harryville through environmental project.
• C-A-R-E Project: Minimize sectarian and racial tension in the greater Dunmurry area through a mobile phone reporting system.

Applicants for the awards needed to demonstrate within their application how their project meets any of the following key objectives:

- Contributes to good community relations, community safety and pride.

- Develops relationships within and between communities.

- Increases community awareness of and promotes good relations.

- Increases respect for difference and diversity.

- Provides greater understanding of other cultures.