Case Studies

All across Northern Ireland voluntary and community organisations are providing smart solutions to tough times. These organisations are at the frontline of providing services and giving a voice to the most vulnerable people, families and communities. The breath of activity in the sector is astounding and reaches into every aspect of our daily lives. Here are some examples of how voluntary and community organisations are making an impact:


Smart cross border solutions for homeless and disadvantaged people Depaul Ireland is a fresh and dynamic cross-border charity which offers homeless and disadvantaged people the opportunity to fulfil their potential and move towards an independent and positive future.
Smart Solutions for Developing Citizenship and Civic Pride in East Belfast East Belfast Community Development Agency (EBCDA) is the “umbrella organisation” supporting community development in East Belfast. Membership is made up of community groups drawn from an area that contains almost 107,000 people. It represents a broad range of interests and needs, which encompasses a variety of groups, including local residents’ associations, faith-based organisations, sports clubs, older people’s groups, women’s groups, and youth clubs.
£18.4m is the result of A2B's smart solution for older people. A2B (Access to Benefits)works to improve benefit uptake in Northern Ireland, with a particular focus on the over 60s. It does this by streamlining the process for older people from lack of awareness of their benefits, through benefit entitlement checks, to applying for and receiving their entitlements
Smart solutions to budget restrictions in the education sector The Integrated Education Fund provides a financial foundation for the development and growth of integrated schools in Northern Ireland. The IEF is committed to shared education as a sound financial decision in the face of constraints on public spending, as well as a model which benefits society through promoting inclusivity and diversity
Smart solutions for better relationships Relate NI has been responding to the personal and family needs of the people of Northern Ireland for more than 60 years. The mission of Relate NI is to “build better relationships” between couples, within families and extended families and others within the workplace or within the general community.
Smart solutions from Stepping Stones NI Stepping Stones NI is a voluntary organisation working in the Lisburn area, supporting people with learning disabilities or learning difficulties to fulfil their work.
Smart solutions for linking community development The Link Family and Community Centre is an interdenominational community development organisation which has been working in Newtownards for 14 years with the aim of stimulating, delivering, supporting and linking community development action that values and develops the potential of all people by being “an active Christian presence in the community.”
Smart solutions from Glenshane Care Centre The project aims to improve the quality of life for disabled people within the local community through the provision of a locally based day-care centre which will provide employment workshops to promote integration with the able bodied.
Smart solutions for people with a learning disability Positive Futures is a local charity supporting children and adults with a learning disability and their families across Northern Ireland.
Gingerbread offers smart solutions for one parent families Gingerbread supports one parent families in NI that will be ‘worst hit by cuts’
NØW is providing Smart Solutions in Tough Times The work of NØW is a perfect example of how voluntary and community organisations are offering effective, efficient and valuable services to communities and we encourage other groups to share their own examples of smart solutions.
Smart Solutions between generations Newcastle Lions Club is a voluntary, charitable organisation that aims to meet the needs of the community in the Newcastle and surrounding area. The group, which is part of the largest voluntary organisation in the world, was established in 1984 and takes an interest in the civic, social, cultural, educational, health and moral welfare of the local community.
A tasty smart solution from Autism Initatives A new chocolate business called ‘Chocolate Memories’ has been created to provide exciting new opportunities for people with autism. It was established with a simple description of what it wants to do. ‘Here at Chocolate Memories not only do we provide training and employment opportunities for people with autism, we also hand-make some really delicious chocolates.’
A smart solution to preventing re-offending Jobtrack is a partnership between NIACRO, the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) and the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS). It is a European funded employment–led resettlement programme, based on research that demonstrates employment as a significant factor in reducing offending.
Early intervention is a smart solution NIACRO, the Northern Ireland Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders is a voluntary organisation which has been working for 40 years to reduce crime and its impact on people and communities. They offer services to help children and young people who offend, offenders and ex-prisoners and prisoners and their families.
User involvement at the heart of smart solutions for young people MACS was established in 1990 to provide a range of services for vulnerable young people aged 16-25 years. In the last 20 years MACS has succeeded in developing an approach which is effective and sustainable. The values and model of the organization, particularly its approach to user involvement, are at the centre of this success.
Smart solutions for fuel poverty and exclusion in rural areas In December 2008, Strabane Community Project, in conjunction with Strabane and District Community Network, secured funding from the Western Health Action Zone for a pilot Warm Zone initiative in the Plumbridge, Victoria Bridge and Newtownstewart electoral wards within Strabane District Council.
Clooney Family Centre Clooney Family Centre provides a range of support services for children, young people and their families who live in the Waterside area of the city of Derry. As no such service previously existed, the Clooney Family Centre was developed in 2003 and supported funded under the Children and Young People’s Funding Package to provide accessible services to marginalised communities, to improve the educational, social and emotional development of children living in the areas.
The Chance for Change Project Chance for Change began an innovative focus on children’s emotional and behavioural wellbeing in 2004. Run in partnership with the Western HSC Trust, the project is based in the Londonderry’s Waterside and works across the Derry city area. It provides support to children aged 7-11 years old who are deemed to be experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties while also supporting their parents/carers and teacher.
Northern Area Early Intervention Family Support Project Supported by the Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety and Northern Ireland Office, the Northern Area Early Intervention Family Support project began in 2008 and part of a regional initiative. Based in Larne and developing work across the Northern HSCT area, this project supports children and young people aged 8-13 years who may be experiencing difficulties at school or involved in risk-taking behaviours.
Smart Solutions: investing in early intervention and realising the potential of a new generation At Action for Children we support and speak out for the most vulnerable children, young people and their families across the UK – to help them break through injustice, deprivation and inequality so they can achieve their full potential.
Providing smart support to a community affected by a rare, devastating and highly complex condition. Huntington’s Disease Association Northern Ireland (HDANI) is the only support network in N. Ireland for families living with this most devastating of neurological and hereditary conditions.
Smart Solutions for disadvantaged young people The Prince’s Trust has over 20 years experience of working with the hardest to reach young people in Northern Ireland. Their vision is simple: Every young person deserves a chance to succeed. The mission of the Prince's Trust is to help young people aged 14-30 on the margins of society get into employment, education or training so that they can get their lives working.
Providing a home in tough times In 2009/10 Clanmil Housing brought 248 new homes into Northern Ireland’s social housing stock. These new homes, together with re-lets, meant that Clanmil was able to provide high quality, affordable homes for 439 families/single people from Northern Ireland’s social housing waiting list.
Smart Solutions for Victims of Crime Victim Support Northern Ireland is a charity which supports people affected by all types of crime. With over 28 years experience, Victim Support's 60 staff and 200 volunteers work across the country providing support services to victims.
Counselling people through the tough times. New Life Counselling has been providing valuable emotional support to local communities by providing counselling services for over 17 years.
Providing smart advice In recent years the Social Security Agency has been proactive in increasing benefit uptake among its customers and Citizens Advice centres have been working with them.
Smart solutions for blind and partially sighted people. RNIB NI's vision is that Northern Ireland is the best place in the world for blind & partially sighted people to live and a place were no one needlessly loses their sight. In order to help them achieve this they provide a range of services from 7 offices: two in Belfast, two in L/Derry, Lisburn, Coleraine and Omagh.
A smart solution to unlocking potential The Orchardville Society is a voluntary organisation working in Belfast, providing Learning Disabilities support to allow people to realise their full potential and ambitions
Providing advice during tough times Advice NI co-ordinates a network of 80 advice centres across Northern Ireland. In 2008/2009 the centres answered 227,802 enquiries from 107,703 clients. This resulted in £30 million identified for people over the course of the year
Smart solutions for older people in Belfast BCM (Belfast Central Mission) is an agency of the Methodist church in Ireland and one of Northern Ireland’s oldest charities. It was established in 1889 as part of the church’s response to inner city poverty and deprivation in Belfast.
Providing the smart solution to protecting our environment In Northern Ireland, the RSPB spends at least £1.5 million a year on delivering government commitments, primarily around the global target to halt biodiversity loss.
A smart approach to trauma and transformation The Northern Ireland Centre for Trauma and Transformation was set up by a charitable trust in 2002, and is based in Omagh, Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Its principal aims are to provide training and support developments in relation to cognitive therapy and psychological trauma related disorders.
Smart solutions in Larne Larne Community Development Project was formed in February 1997 by a group of people from Larne Borough who were involved in cross community work .
Offering vital support in the toughest of times Lighthouse (previously known as PIPS: Public Initiative for the Prevention of Suicide and Self Harm) is an organisation committed to providing support services to families who have lost loved ones and people in crisis.
Working with families to provide smart solutions The work of Home Start is a perfect example of how voluntary and community organisations are offering effective, efficient and valuable services to families.
Communities working together to provide smart solutions The work of Seacourt Community Council is a perfect example of how voluntary and community organisations are offering effective, efficient and valuable services to communities and we encourage other groups to share their own examples of smart solutions.
First Housing offering smart support to young parents Shepherd’s View Young Parents’ Project was set up to meet the needs of some of the most vulnerable families in the North West.

Case Studies

Smart Solutions in Tough Times