CEP Networking Event 2: Inclusive Community Development

Inclusive community development thrives when people come together to share experiences, challenges, and practical solutions. This networking event brings community practitioners, volunteers, local organisations, and residents into the same room to explore what inclusive development looks like in practice. 

The Community Empowerment Programme (CEP) is being delivered as part of the Belfast PEACEPLUS Local Community Action Plan. This project is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

Why attend?

• Strengthen your connections across the community sector
• Learn from others working on inclusion and participation
• Discover new approaches to community‑led development
• Share your experience and contribute to solution focused discussions

Who should attend? 

• Anyone passionate about building inclusive, resilient communities in the Belfast City Council area
• Community groups and grassroots organisations
• Volunteers and local leaders
• Statutory and voluntary sector partners

Content of the event

1. Keynote Speaker  - Lilian Seenoi Barr, Founder and CEO, The North West Migrants Forum
2. Panel Discussion  
3. Question and Answer session
4. Facilitated Roundtable Discussions on the theme of inclusive community development and diversity in communities
5. Lunch and Networking
6. Facilitated workshops 

Key Note Speaker

Dr. Lilian Seenoi-Barr is a changemaker, bridge-builder, and a powerful voice for women, young people, and minoritised communities. Born in Kenya, her early experiences of injustice ignited a lifelong commitment to human rights, racial justice, and economic equality. 

After moving to Derry/Londonderry, she founded the North West Migrants Forum, leading bold action on anti-racism, inclusion, and youth empowerment.

As the first Black elected representative in Northern Ireland and the recent Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District, Dr. Seenoi-Barr has broken historic barriers while staying deeply rooted in grassroots activism.

Her leadership has transformed conversations around women’s health, youth leadership, housing justice, and the night-time economy, always with a focus on making public spaces safer and more inclusive. Her work is people-centred, driven by empathy, and grounded in real, lasting change.

Panel

We are delighted to have a diverse panel with many years of experience in inclusive community development. They will share their positive experiences in community development, how they have overcome the challenges they face and make recommendations to improve inclusivity and diversity.

• Glen Phillips – Homeplus NI
• Jahswill Emannuel – Multiethnic Sports and Culture NI (MCSNI)
• Joanne Kinnear - North Belfast Partnership
• Lori Gatsi-Barnett  - JoinHer Network
• Lynda Whinnery - Youth Initiatives NI

Workshops in afternoon

There will be three workshops to choose from in afternoon. Each workshop will run twice for 55 minutes 1:40 - 2:35pm and 2:35 – 3:40pm. So attendees will choose 2 out of the 3 to attend. This will be done when you arrive at the event.

• Community Research Toolkit for Collaboration – Joanne Hawell and Julie Russell, Greater Shankill Partnership
• Community Conversations – Denis Long and Fiona Forward South
• EDI charter - Seen. Heard. Included - Shannen O’Connor, Marrowbone Community Association 

1. Community Research Toolkit for Collaboration

Greater Shankill Partnership were delighted to partner with Childhood Development Initiative, Tallaght and the Innovation Zones at Queen's University Belfast to launch a Community Research Toolkit. At this workshop Joanne Hawell and Julie Russell will introduce you to the Toolkit and discuss how it can be used.

The Toolkit brings together practical methods, learning, and lived experience to support meaningful, ethical, and inclusive community–academic research. Developed through a Shared Island Fund collaboration, it reflects priorities from both Tallaght and Greater Shankill communities.

Toolkit Snapshot

 • Data Recording Methods

 • Informed Consent

 • CDI’s Peer Research Approach

 • Training for Peer Researchers

 • Conversations Project Recruitment

 • Pathfinder Training

Supported by the Shared Island Fund, Government of Ireland

2. Community Conversations

This session facilitated by Denis Long and Fiona Molloy from Forward South, introduces the Public Conversations methodology as a practical approach to engaging with complex and potentially divisive issues. It will explore how creating the right conditions for listening and honest exchange can help move conversations beyond avoidance or polarisation. Participants will be invited to reflect on how these principles can support more meaningful dialogue, learning, and connection in their own work, particularly where issues feel sensitive or difficult to name. 

Denis Long is a practitioner with over 25 years’ experience in community development, facilitation, and training. She currently works as Strategic Community Relations Officer for South Belfast with Forward South Partnership, where she leads on embedding the Public Conversations Model to enable constructive dialogue on contested issues, and strengthen trust and engagement across diverse communities.

3. EDI charter workshop -Seen. Heard. Included.

This interactive workshop, delivered by Shannen O’Connor in partnership with the Inclusive Communities Group through North Belfast Community Partnership, brings together community groups, youth organisations, and local stakeholders to strengthen equality, diversity, and inclusion practice across North Belfast.

The workshop creates a safe, welcoming space for participants to explore what inclusive communities look like in real life, grounded in lived experience rather than theory. Participants will identify local needs and barriers to inclusion, share learning across communities, and contribute directly to the development of a community-led EDI Charter, shaped by local voices and practical action.

Through creative and discussion-based activities, participants will build knowledge, awareness, and confidence around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, while reflecting on how inclusive practice can be embedded within their own organisations and communities.

Shannen O’Connor is a Senior Youth Worker with Marrowbone Community Association and has over a decade of experience delivering community-based youth work across North Belfast. Shannen plays an active role within the Inclusive Communities Group and has been directly involved in the development of equality, diversity, and inclusion initiatives across North Belfast. 

 How Can I Register?

You can register by completing the Event Registration Request Form below. If you have any particular access requirements, please detail these on registration.

We look forward to seeing you