NICVA Research Update 36

Index

Recent Research

Telling the story of PEACE II. An Assessment of the Impact of PEACE II Funding in Strabane, East Belfast and Cavan.

Consistence and Persistence: Roles, Relationships and Resources of Irish Language Voluntary Organisations.

The Power Within: Using Community Research as a Tool for Change in North Belfast, West Belfast and the Shankill.

Diversity, Civil Society and Social Change in Ireland: A North-South Comparison of the Role of Immigrant / 'New' Minority Ethnic-Led Community and Voluntary Sector Organisations.

News Release

The fifth edition of the Northern Ireland Summary of Social Security Statistics has been published by the Department for Social Development.

Seminar

Is it worth more than small change? Assessing patterns of charitable giving in Northern Ireland.

Recent Research

Telling the story of PEACE II: An Assessment of the Impact of PEACE II Funding in Strabane, East Belfast and Cavan.

This research commissioned by the Distinctiveness Working Group (SEUPB) provided an insight into the impact that PEACE II funding has had in Strabane, East Belfast and Cavan. The research was conducted by the NICVA (Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action) Research Unit between June and September 2004. This research was not intended to be an evaluation of monitoring forms or an audit of PEACE II funding projects but more an attempt to garner opinion on the wider impact PEACE II funding has had in each of the areas.

So what were the main messages to emerge from this research about the impact of PEACE II on the Strabane District Council area, East Belfast and County Cavan?

First, PEACE II has instigated, implemented and supported initiatives, projects and activities that may not otherwise have been funded or would have taken longer to establish. PEACE II has provided an impetus to address the under investment in the social, physical and economic infrastructure of each of the areas.

Second, through the introduction of the distinctiveness criteria, an environment has been created where applicants have had to think about other communities and the needs that exist there. This has made a lot of recipients recognise the impact of the conflict.

To get a copy of the report please contact SEUPB on 028 9026 6689 Read the article here

Consistence and Persistence:Roles, Relationships and Resources of Irish Language Voluntary Organisations.

This report emerged from a collaborative process engaged in by Comhdha´il Na´isiu´nta na Gaeilge and the Centre for Non-profit Management, Trinity College Dublin. The collaborative process involved the transfer of research skills and the maximisation of language and other expertise. A technique called Meithereal was used to monitor and oversee the relationship and record learning. The research fulfilled the research objectives of Comhdha´il Na´isiu´nta na Gaeilge, formed part of a mapping project of the research programme of the Centre for Non-profit Management, the Meithealwas part of the Centre’s Dialogue Programme (www.cnm.tcd.ie/).

Conclusions

• Resources and Relationships. Although organisations in the Republic were larger, in terms of human resources, Northern Irish organisations had a greater average income. The difference in income between Northern Irish. organisations and the older and middle generations of organisations in the Republic was not large, however younger organisations in the republic have a much lower income.
• Roles. The service role was identified by all responding organisations, North and South, as the most important role, followed by community building for Northern Irish organisations and by leadership for Republic of Ireland organisations.
• Seeking an Explanation for the Voluntary-Statutory Relationship. Theories on the non-profit sector focus on the reasons for the sector’s existence, which is linked to the role it plays and implicitly, its relationships with the state and the market.
• Issues for Future Research. The research reported indicates areas of further research which are important for Irish language organisations.

You can download a digital copy of Consistence and Persistence: Roles, Relationship and Resources of Irish Language Voluntary Organisations at:

http://www.gaelport.com/downloads/consistence_and_persistence.pdf

The above report is also available in Irish. For further information or to request a copy

eolas@gaelport.com or 00353 1679 4780

The Power Within: Using Community Research as a Tool for Change in North Belfast, West Belfast and the Shankill.

The Community Action Research Project (CARP) has successfully trained local people from North, West and Shankill areas of Belfast in Action Research Skills. This has involved mentoring them through the production of focused pieces of research, design to help meet the informational need of their communities. The learning programme was designed to:

• increase knowledge and understanding of social research
• provide participants with an opportunity to put theory into practice
• encourage and support the development of a ‘can do’ approach of social research.

And has successfully produced a dynamic pool of locally based community workers with the capacity to:

• encourage local networking and avoid unnecessary duplication of effort
• influence and challenge policy makers
• check if policies are working in practice
• check whether services or projects meet identified needs
• guide effective targeting of resources
• support campaigns for better or new services
• support applications for funding
• create a greater local knowledge base within communities
• help deliver data and statistics at a local level.

Participants also gained a 20 credit module of the Cert HE in Community Development with the opportunity to progress with Belfast Institute (http://www.belfastinstitute.ac.uk/) to complete the Cert HE in Community Development.

For further information on this report contact: VHarper@belfastinstitute.ac.uk or 028 9026 5441.

Diversity, Civil Society and Social Change in Ireland: A North-South Comparison of the Role of Immigrant / 'New' Minority Ethnic-Led Community and Voluntary Sector Organisations.

The purpose of this research is to contribute to better understanding of the circumstances in which immigrant/‘new’ minority ethnic-led community and voluntary organisations (hereafter, I/MELOs) are developing, the factors shaping their future success and the implications of their activities for civil society and community life in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. The project was funded by the Royal Irish Academy Third Sector Research Programme (http://www.ria.ie/committees/pdfs/tsrp01.PDF) and the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust ( http://www.jrct.org.uk/). The research was conducted in 2003-04 by Alice Feldman, Deo Ladislas Ndakengerwa, Ann Nolan and Carmen Frese.

Key Findings

• Diversity, Vibrancy, Dedication. Discussions with I/MELO members about their organisations reveal many issues and struggles common to other community and voluntary organisations such as involving their membership, management styles and leadership.
• Sector Relationships. An examination of the diverse views and positions of different stakeholders demonstrates the ways new civil society actors serve as a microcosm of the wider process of change stemming from immigration and ethnic diversification.
• Role in Wider Irish Civil Society. Further examination of the dynamics and outcomes of I/MELO development and community mobilisation highlights a deeper, more profound level of change. This level of change is about more than immigrant/’new’ minority ethnic communities simply adapting to or ‘learning the ropes’ of civil society in these jurisdictions, or only making contributions within the existing structures.
• Impacts of I/MELO Development and Activities: The Community and Voluntary Sector. I/MELO-based issues and activities demonstrate:
• 1. the potential of the sector to provide spaces and opportunities for the most marginalized to assert themselves and contribute to the public sphere
  2. the impact of the cultural and political histories of the sector on civil society in general and the formation of ethnic minority communities in particular
  3. the role of the state in both promoting as well as impeding integration through its regulation of sector actors and activities.
• The Development of ‘New’ Minority Ethnic Communities.I/MELO based issues and activities highlight:
• 1. the links between community stability, civil society activity and effective policymaking and implementation
  2. the variability of definitions, strategies and impacts associated with such key practices and principles as ‘community development’, ‘partnership’ and so on
  3. the ways in which the introduction of innovations in the practice of critical interculturalism depends upon immigrant community mobilisation and empowerment, and vice versa
  4. the ongoing necessity for self-reflection, even among seasoned practitioners/actors
  5. the encouragement of ‘learning organisations’ the structures of engagement and resourcing necessary for the development of a positive and productive multi-ethnic society.

For further information and the key findings of this report please visit: http://www.ucd.ie/geary/publications/2005/Diversity.pdf

News Release

Statistical Press Release: social security statistics summary published

The fifth edition of the Northern Ireland Summary of Social Security Statistics was published by the Department for Social Development ( http://www.dsdni.gov.uk) on 1 July 2005. It provides information on claimants of all social security benefits and looks at individual benefit statistics. Also included are data from the Northern Ireland Client Group Analysis, which looks at three client groups. These are persons of working age, families with children and persons of pensionable age.

Main Findings

• Claimants of Severe Disablement Allowance have fallen from 13,727 in August 2003 to 13,233 in August 2004, a decrease of 4%.
• The number in receipt of Retirement Pension at September 2004 was 254,859; an increase of 1.4% from September 2003 compared to a 1.3% increase in Great Britain.
• In August 2004 about 96% (259,516) of people over state pension age claimed a key benefit an increase of 2% (5,449) since August 2001. Of these, 35% were men and 65% were women.

Further enquiries or requests for copies of this report should be addressed to:

Frances Curran,

Social Welfare Statistics and Consultancy Branch,

James House,

2 – 4 Cromac Avenue,

Belfast BT7 2JA.

028 9081 9947.

Frances.curran@dsdni.gov.uk

Read the article here

Seminars

2005-2006 Voluntary and Community Sector Research Seminar

The series begins on 9 September 2005 with a seminar entitled Is it worth more than small change? which looks at patterns of charitable giving by the general public. Leeann Brady from NICVA will present the findings of research which asked 1,000 individuals across Northern Ireland how much they gave to charity. Denny Elliott from the Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke Association will help ground this research with his experiences of fundraising and the challenge of maintaining levels of public support.

You are invited to attend this hosted by NICVA.

Topic: Is it worth more than small change? An assessment of patterns of charitable giving in Northern Ireland.

Date and Time: 9 September 2005 11.00am – 12.30pm

Location: NICVA, 61 Duncairn Gardens, Belfast BT15 2GB.

Main Speaker: Leeann Brady (NICVA)

To register for this event please contact Andrea Burke on andrea.burke@nicva.org or telephone 028 9087 7777. To view the rest of the seminars in this series visit: http://www.communityni.org/index.cfm/section/Events/key/news300605

Thanks to everyone who sent information that has been included in NICVA Research Update 36. Please remember to send information about research that you have undertaken and requests for information that you would like included in the next update. Also remember to let others know about NICVA Research Updates. To register send an email entitled ‘NICVA Research Updates’ to andrea.burke@nicva.org

Andrea Burke

Research Assistant

NICVA

61 Duncairn Gardens

BELFAST BT15 2GB

028 9087 7777

028 9087 7799

andrea.burke@nicva.org

http://www.nicva.org