Learning To Grow (Belfast)
People’s Champion
Centre manager Christina Black of Roden Street Community Development Group is somewhat of a local celebrity in her area.
Her hard work and vision was instrumental in her organisation’s success in securing Lottery funding for a new sports pitch and play park.
With mum Isabel (who chairs the group) as mentor and supporter, the pair are familiar faces in their area and often find it hard to get home at night without being stopped and asked for assistance of one kind or another.
“I began coming in here with my mum 15 years ago, who was already so involved,” Christina recalled. ”As a typical youngster, I was determined to be different, but finally I was asked to come and volunteer – the rest is history! Mum has been a real inspiration.
What BIG did
Roden Street Community Development Group was awarded £50,000 to transform a dilapidated play park thanks to the People’s Millions competition, a joint initiative between the Big Lottery Fund and UTV.
The project also obtained £634,000 from BIG’s PE and Sport programme for a multi-use sports pitch.
“The pitch has really helped. Local schools use it, but we also attract a lot of young men who are out of work – they may not be in employment, but they are here and they are focusing on their energy and their health until something comes along. There’s also the immigrant population – the pitch hosts the Filipino Sports Association every Saturday morning and we believe integration is very important.
“For me, it is important to get involved – you can’t just do the fancy jobs. In summer, if our minibus is parked outside my house, there are often young people standing outside, asking ‘where are we going today?’.
“Everyone has an input – if the community wants something, they feel confident to come ask us to try and implement it and we listen to their viewpoints.”
Website: RodenStreet.org
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