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There has been a lack of information about local communities in East Belfast and the area has suffered from weak community infrastructure with hidden pockets of disadvantage among affluence. Against this background, the East Belfast Community Workers Forum was set up as a networking opportunity through an initial Capacity Building Programme (1997-1999) within East Belfast Community Development Agency (EBCDA). In 1998, the Forum formed a sub group to look at research needs and issues with the result that a neighbourhood research project was included in a major new Capacity Building Programme funded by the Belfast European Partnership Board in 2000.

Research Services Ireland, the Urban Institute and Julie Harrison Consulting provided expertise and technical support to the local research group, and an inclusive process evolved. The main questionnaire was agreed by this group following consultation with 20 relevant local agencies. Key workers from 14 locally defined neighbourhoods have been meeting monthly to co-ordinate and monitor progress.

Between May and November 2000, 55 local interviewers were recruited, trained, supported and paid to carry out household interviews (based on a random sample) on a range of important subjects. 828 completed questionnaires – representing a 58% response rate overall - were then analysed and an East Belfast report prepared in January 2001.

Neighbourhood representatives were then trained and supported to prepare local reports with priorities for action. A follow up process is anticipated which hopes to ensure maximum use of research findings towards positive changes based on what local residents have said they want and need.

This research project is a practical example of the desire to find local solutions to local problems outlined in the Programme for Government (February 2001): ‘only if we can help the confidence of a community to express its own needs can we build a firm foundation for tackling the divisions in our society’. The report provides an agenda for change, again in keeping with the Programme for Government’s stated aim to ‘breathe new life into our towns, cities and rural communities, objectively identifying and targeting those areas which have become most deprived, developing and delivering a co-ordinated response to the needs of those areas’.

Through the New Targeting Social Need policy, pledges have been made in relation to the proper co-ordination of programmes and services. Specific commitments have also been made in relation to sustaining and enhancing local communities, with a stated understanding that ‘strong neighbourhood communities that incorporate well-organised communities of interest are central to economic, social and cultural development’. All local initiatives sit within the equality framework and statutory duties to equality proof programmes and policies.

The European Union’s Community Support Framework for NI is also important, including the long awaited ‘Peace 2’ programme which is expected to concentrate on addressing areas of weak community infrastructure and promoting Pathways to Inclusion.

Leading from behind – the arguments about a lack of community infrastructure in the East of the city are well rehearsed and now need to be modified in light of progress made, for example, since the initial Capacity Building Programme within EBCDA in 1997. A number of key initiatives offer the potential to act on the agenda that has been set, such as the strategies of Greater East Belfast Partnership and Belfast Regeneration Office.

Given this policy framework, the timing of this research report could not be better as it will greatly facilitate local funding proposals and the emergence of larger scale strategic community initiatives.

Mike Morrissey (Urban Institute) sets the East Belfast area within the wider context and offers the following analysis.

• Background: within a picture of de-industrialisation and occupational decline, East Belfast has traditionally been regarded as among the most favoured sectors of the city.

• Local community infrastructure: the area is a complex mosaic of neighbourhoods which do not fit neatly into administrative boundaries. Given the traditional lack of community development, funding and development support have been limited. This research project therefore, seeks to give local communities a voice to expresstheir own needs.

• Ageing Population: between 1991 and 1999, the numbers of 0-9 year olds (in the East Belfast Parliamentary Constituency) fell by almost 1200 and the number of people aged 75+ increased by 1300. Changes in the population structure have significant implications for the delivery of services.

• Inequality within East Belfast:

• Unemployment: almost two thirds of all unemployment in East Belfast in April 2000 (1891 people) was within the wards of Ballymacarrett, Woodstock, The Mount, Bloomfield, Island and Sydenham. Inequalities in the experience of unemployment within East Belfast are particularly apparent e.g. less than 50 unemployed in Cherryvalley but almost 250 in The Mount.

• Deprivation: using the Robson Index based on the 1991 Census, one third of the East Belfast wards would appear to be among the most affluent in the NI region but there are three wards that are among the most deprived 3% of NI wards.

• Benefits dependency: extreme patterns of inequality are also matched by data in benefits dependency. For example, almost one in three of the population in Ballymacarrett was dependent on Income Support compared to less than one in fourteen in Knock. At the same time, almost two fifths of East Belfast wards had rates of Income Support greater than the NI average.

For summary purposes, only selected highlights can be included. Please refer to the main report for further detail.

Household Size and Age Distribution: the 828 households surveyed contain 2039 individuals, 46.4% male and 53.6% female. 30% were single person households and 32% were two person households. 25% were under 16 years old and 18% were 60 and over.

Marital Status and Employment Status: 42.8% were married or with partner and 31.1% were single. 95 women and 9 men reported that they were single parents (5.1%) and 31 women and 20 men were carers of elderly / disabled people (2.5%).

Approximately 13% were unemployed, 26% employed full time and 6% employed part time. 8.5% were ‘early retired’ and 9.5% were in education or on training courses.

Income: 49.2% of households had their main source of income from work, 26.6% from social security benefits and 23.4% from pensions.

Housing: of housing types, 73.7% were terraced and 12.6% semi-detached. Approximately 45% were owner occupied and 55% rented. 40.4% were rented from the Housing Executive, 41.4% from Housing Associations and 18.2% from private landlords or companies. Approximately 49% had three bedrooms and 42% two bedrooms. 11.3% of households had someone on the housing waiting list.

Health: 46.8% of households had someone with a medical condition being treated by a doctor or hospital. 30.3% were receiving benefits related to illness. 34.7% of women and girls felt very well informed about their health and 23.5% of men and boys. 31.6% felt that drug abuse was a problem locally and 47.9% said alcohol abuse was a problem. 19.5% of households had at least one person taking medication for nervous illness, stress and depression.

Transport: 41.5% used taxis, 54.8% used public transport and 57.1% used cars regularly. 47.7% of households had no car and 7.9% had more than one car. 25.9% reported that they do not have adequate parking space.

Qualifications & Employment: 20.7% of households had no qualifications among their members. Approximately 49% had GCSE / GCE or CSE, 19% NVQs, 18% computer / IT qualifications, 16% A’Levels 15% RSA and 8% degrees. 46% had undertaken training since leaving school and 32% said they would be interested in undertaking education and training courses.

Main barriers to employment were seen as low pay / not worth coming off benefits (82.5%); lack of suitable childcare (67.9%), not well enough qualified (66.3%) and not enough confidence / experience (65.3%).

Over 30% had experience in customer services and computers, over 20% had experience in hospitalityservices and construction and 4% had experience in call centres. Correspondingly, slightly fewer had training in these same areas of work.

Neighbourhood, Problems and Improvements: 44% described their quality of life as good and 40% as OK. Approximately 28% felt that their quality of life was getting worse, 56% staying the same and 16% getting better. Around 15% had plans to move out of their immediate area. Top priority problems were seen as environmental issues, crime and substance abuse. Priority improvements were seen as the provision of play areas for children, youth facilities and action on vandalism and graffitti.

Education: Around two thirds said their households had generally positive experiences of nursery / primary and secondary school. 73% said that education was very valuable for their future. Approximately 28% said they understood the education system very well, 44% well and 28% not very well. 48% described the relationship between school and community as good, 44% as average and 8% as poor. 31.5% said there were not enough places in integrated schools suitable for children from East Belfast, 50% said they did not know and 12% were not interested.

Activities and Arts: 84% never attend arts activities, over 70% never attend community, youth and advice centres, over 50% never attend leisure centres, sports & church activities. Households often attending church activities were 21.8%, sporting activity 18.1%, leisure centres 14.3% and youth club / group 12.6%.

17% expressed interest in becoming involved in arts activities, 23% would use an East Belfast arts facility if one became available and 65% were in favour of a community arts summer festival.

Services and Facilities: Over 50% expressed satisfaction with public transport, health centre / clinic, and primary / nursery schools. Highest levels of dissatisfaction were with out-of-hours medical service (47.6%) and playground facilities (36.5%). Facilities seen as most frequently unavailable were visitor or tourist attractions (47.6%) and recycling facilities (31.1%).

Over 60% considered Post Office shopping facilities, hairdressers, primary / nursery schools and chemists as most convenient. Over 50% felt that the out-of-hours medical service and housing office were not convenient.

Community Development: around 41% were aware of local community groups and 12% of households had someone involved with others in helping to improve the local community. The top prioritised reasons why people do not join community groups were seen as ‘too busy doing other things’, ‘not aware of what groups are doing’ and ‘have never thought about it’, closely followed by ‘lack of experience or expertise’ and ‘cannot see the point or benefit’.

Follow Up: Top priorities identified were public meetings to discuss findings locally, present issues to politicians, highlight issues in the media and present issues to statutory agencies / funders. A considerable number also wanted to get interested people together to work on an action plan, get existing groups together and set up local issue based meetings.

A number of core issues have been identified through the research process, on the themes of places, choices, well-being and community.

Places

• Graffiti and vandalism need to be addressed. Noise pollution, traffic and fouling of local neighbourhoods by dogs are also problematic;

• Tackling crime, including paramilitary violence and vandalism is a priority. Local police services also need attention;

• Safe and convenient play areas for young children are lacking;

• Consideration should be given to the provision of recycling facilities;

• Housing repair services need to be improved;

• Consideration needs to be given to Housing Offices and their perceived inconvenience.

Choices

• Lack of work remains a key issue, particularly in Inner East Belfast, and limits the life choices that can bemade;

• More than half of the households surveyed rely on pensions or benefits as their main income source.

• Low pay is seen as the biggest barrier to employment;

• There is a perceived lack of suitable childcare;

• Three in four people have never used an advice centre despite concerns about benefit take up rates and information needs;

• Training opportunities are needed and would be welcomed by one third of respondents;

• Relationships between schools and communities are poor in some cases;

• More integrated school places suitable for East Belfast children are desired;

• Transport options need to be properly reviewed given the location of essential services and the use of public transport and taxis by more than half of households.

Well-being

• Alcohol and substance abuse are among the top three problems articulated by communities across East Belfast;

• Out of hours medical services at Forster Green are inconvenient for almost two in three people and deemed unsatisfactory by one person in three;

• Relevant, user friendly, health information is needed at a neighbourhood level, especially among young men and boys;

• More support and counselling services for stress and depression are required;

• Services, facilities and activities need to be assessed with greater consideration of the needs of older people and their carers.

Community

• Community activity is not a part of most people’s lives. Just over one person in ten is involved with a local community group and less than half of respondents were are aware of groups in their area;

• There is an under utilisation of community and youth facilities;

• There is a perceived lack of visitor attractions in East Belfast and some interest in developing greater arts activity in communities, perhaps through a summer community festival and a central arts venue.

Given EBCDA’s focus on ‘the provision of support for community based organisations by providing capacity building programmes that are based on partnership, equal opportunities and sustainable outcomes’ and the broader policy context, there now needs to be a strategic, structured follow up process. This must include the establishment of a contract for change, requiring substantive input from a range of organisations. It is therefore imperative that we listen and act, together, in response to these finding, especially the priorities for
change.

Document download: if you would like a printer friendly version of this document please click on the appropriate icon below. The full report encompassing detailed statistical information can also be downloaded below.

Please note: further information about the research element of East Belfast Capacity Building Programme, printed copies of this summary document and limited copies of the main report (56 pages) are available from Christine Acheson at East Belfast Community Development Agency, 269 Albertbridge Road, Belfast BT5 4PY, tel. 9045 1512, fax. 9073 8039, e-mail info@ebcda.org Requests for neighbourhood reports (24 pages each) will be forwarded to local key workers as appropriate.

This project has been funded by the Belfast European Partnership Board

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