Theme one: Our people and communities
Making life better for all our residents
- Supported 188 people through multi-agency partnership approach to deal with chronic homelessness in the city.
- Established a Vulnerability Leadership Group bringing together regional statutory agencies with the delivery responsibilities, levers and resources to support vulnerable children and adults, providing collective leadership for vulnerability at a city level.
- Secured resources for a co-ordinator to drive forward delivery of the Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing Programme over the next two years, with £15,000 supporting citywide projects in 2023 to 2024.
- Participatory Budgeting Process taken forward for the Take Five theme, funding 78 organisations and increasing citywide profile.
- Progressed collaborative efforts to develop a whole system approach to healthy weight.
- Provided funding of £2.07 million to advice services in the city who supported over 50,000 individuals with access to free, independent advice.
- Provided £1.8 million to support Community and Voluntary sector through capacity grants and £1.4 million in annual revenue grants. In 2025 to 2026 the amount of funding awarded to revenue groups was increased to £2.9 million through an additional one-off award from Council.
- Supported 25,149 individuals through the Social Supermarket Programme, providing over £1.35 million to 27 projects.
- An area-based community plan has been developed in north Belfast which can inform how similar processes could be delivered elsewhere.
- Completion of two transformational Peace IV projects: £7.8 million Shankill Shared Women’s Centre and £7 million Black Mountain Shared Space.
- Completion of two community asset transfers at Clarendon and Ulidia Playing Fields.
- Installation of two statues in City Hall grounds celebrating the role of women in the city – Mary Ann McCracken and Winifred Carney.
- In total, some 50 projects have been completed from November 2023 to present with a total capital investment of approximately £48 million.
- Funding has been allocated to a range of projects across the city under the £10.28 million Neighbourhood Regeneration Fund.
- A number of awards were won for the transformation of St Comgall’s building (RICS National Award and RICS Regional Award); the transformation of Templemore Baths (CEF Excellence Award and RICS Regional Award) and the creation of a new Shankill Shared Women’s Centre (CEF Social/Community Construction Project of the Year).
Improving health and wellbeing
Partners are focussed on addressing health inequalities and improving the quality of life and wellbeing for everyone in the city. We have been working collaboratively on physical and mental health, social cohesion, isolation and community vulnerability and are committed to continue working together to narrow inequality gaps across Belfast.
Supporting vulnerable people with complex lives
The Complex Lives initiative supports some of Belfast’s most vulnerable people who are experiencing a cycle of rough sleeping, addiction, poor mental and physical health, and offending behaviour. The initiative provides a multi-disciplinary ‘whole system’ statutory and community and voluntary partnership delivery model, pooling expertise, skills and resources focused on improving outcomes for individuals who are chronically homeless in Belfast.
Multi-Agency Support Hub (MASH)
MASH is the development of a partnership delivery model that enables organisations, including police, health and councils to work at local level to support vulnerable people who do not meet thresholds for acute support, but whose situations are at risk of escalation and causing high demand for a range of services. This collaborative network helps to coordinate services, assess hidden needs and improve access to services and support. Key aims include expanding the cohort of vulnerable individuals being supported as well as the scope of agencies involved.
Delivery highlights and progress
- Established a robust operational partnership with strong governance at strategic, tactical and operational levels.
- The partners are developing an outcomes framework and a shared case management system to track impact.
- Identified 260 people meeting the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE)’s Chronic Homelessness definition.
- Actively supporting 80-90 people at any given time, including 30 in their own tenancies.
- Secured funding for six intensive support workers, enhancing existing partner services support offering.
- The Multi-Disciplinary Team has supported 188 individuals to date, with a high engagement rate of 80-88 per cent.
- A working and signed data sharing agreement - a critical step to enable effective working of a whole systems approach.
- Collaborated with prison healthcare and Northern Ireland Prison Service to improve release planning and provision of wrap-around support (pilot at Hydebank Wood).
- Alignment with City Centre Tasking – this helps outreach services better coordinate and manage both people and place.
Vulnerability Leadership Group
- Through community planning, we have established a Vulnerability Leadership Group which brings together regional statutory agencies with the delivery responsibilities, levers and resources to support vulnerable children and adults. This group involves the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE), Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), Probation Board Northern Ireland (PBNI), Public Health Agency (PHA), Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS), and Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT), and provides collective leadership for vulnerability at a city level.
- Through this group we will continue to explore opportunities to develop transformative, place based, preventative and integrated approaches to supporting people who are vulnerable to traumatic experiences and poor outcomes throughout their lives.
Improving positive mental health and emotional wellbeing
Take Five Steps to Wellbeing
This initiative promotes positive mental health and emotional wellbeing through five simple steps: connect, be active, take notice, keep learning and give. It encourages individuals and organisations to integrate these actions into daily life for better outcomes.
Delivery highlights and progress
- £15,000 funding supported citywide projects in 2023 to 2024, with additional funding secured from NHS Charities Together for staffing, resourcing, and procurement until October 2026, including a two-year BHSCT Take 5 Co-ordinator recruited in October 2024.
- Promoted the Take Five steps initiative across four settings: community, schools, youth and workplaces.
- Supported 11 post-primary schools; eight primary schools recruited for 2025 - 2026 academic year.
- 35 youth organisations attended Belfast Health and Development Unit facilitated workshops, with 10 completed over a year-long accreditation programme.
- Celebration event held at Belfast City Hall in November 2025 to acknowledge achievements in Take Five Schools and Youth Organisations programmes.
- Formed Take Five Community Working Group (10 members from community, voluntary and statutory sectors) to launch Belfast Take 5 Charter; 72 organisations signed up to expand training and initiatives. The launch of a Take Five Steps to Wellbeing Charter was held in June 2025 at Belfast Castle attended by 62 community, voluntary and statutory organisations.
- A Participatory Budgeting initiative facilitated through the Belfast Health Development Unit, incorporated the Take Five theme in 2024 to 2025, increasing citywide profile and funding 78 organisations; a celebration event held in City Hall in November 2025 showcasing project impacts.
Improving physical health
Partners are committed to promoting physical activity and nutrition to enhance health and wellbeing, reduce obesity, and encourage active lifestyles across Belfast. Initiatives like Active Belfast and the Whole System Approach to healthy weight engage communities through targeted programmes, training and partnerships.
Active Belfast Partnership
This partnership delivers physical activity and nutrition sessions in 26 community centres, focusing on children, young people, adults, families, and older people to build skills, improve inclusion, and foster social connections.
Delivery highlights and progress
- Delivered 589 sessions from January to February 2025, engaging 1,460 participants in 4–10-week programmes combining exercise, nutrition education and cookery.
- Upskilled Community Development Officers in December 2024 and January 2025 with physical activity and nutrition training, plus signposting to further opportunities.
- Supported ongoing Jog Belfast programmes citywide, with 844 participants over two years.
- Delivered Participatory Budgeting Phase 2 (September 2023–October 2024) under "Move More, Eat Well – Feel Better," and "Your Voice, Your Choice" (August 2024–October 2025) for emotional wellbeing via Take Five steps.
- Implemented Physical Activity Referral Care Pathway to connect individuals to tailored support, with 3,589 people completing the referral programme.
Cycling for health
We have delivered programmes promoting cycling for health through accessible, inclusive activities in outdoor spaces and community hubs.
Delivery highlights and progress
- Co-ordinated minimum eight programmes via Whiterock Active Travel Hub in locations like Falls Park and Comber Greenway; purchased and serviced one e-bike and one e-bike tandem (April 2025 onwards).
- Supported groups to June 2025: St Galls Men's Shed (four weeks), USDT HLC (four weeks), and USDT Addiction Support Group (four weeks).
- Commissioned citywide: 16 balance and bike skills programmes (eight each, maximum 16 participants per group), plus eight family community bike rides and inclusive bikes awareness at Ormeau Park.
- Engaged 155 participants in 2024-2025: 30 in inclusive bikes sessions (April–June 2025).
Whole system approach to healthy weight
This collaborative effort unites statutory, voluntary, and community agencies to address obesity causes and drive system changes, targeting higher rates in deprived areas (20 per cent of P1 children, 27 per cent of Year 8 children, and 65 per cent of adults in NI).
Some delivery highlights and progress
- Completed Phases 1 (setup) and 2 (local picture): Secured senior support, established governance via Active Belfast Partnership, created statistical profiles, asset and hazard maps, and action overviews.
- Initiated Phase 3 (system mapping): Appointed mapper, trained in co-design, integrated lived experience representatives, and procured an animated video for stakeholder engagement.
- Presented to Belfast Community Planning Partnership and People and Communities Board; managed by Belfast Health Development Unit as part of NI WSA Shared Learning Network.
- Phases 4–6 (action planning and implementation) progressing in 2025.
Investing in our communities and local assets
We continue to invest in our communities and in creating local assets and facilities across the city that people can access and enjoy. Such investment creates opportunity and empowers communities to improve their local places.
Community and Neighbourhood Regeneration
Partners have been working towards developing a joined-up approach to neighbourhood regeneration, connecting people, places and services at a local level through partnership. We are committed to helping our people and places achieve their full potential and working collaboratively to meet the needs of each area of the city.
Bringing a focus locally
Partners are committed to enhancing community infrastructure through investments in local assets, delivering sustainable benefits for residents across Belfast. We work with community groups, organisations and funding agencies in the delivery of the Council’s Physical Programme, encompassing streams such as the Belfast Investment Fund, Local Investment Fund, Neighbourhood Regeneration Fund, Social Outcomes Fund, Urban Villages Programme and others. These initiatives support a diverse range of capital projects citywide, boosting health, wellbeing, connectivity and other economic opportunities.
Delivery highlights and progress
- Progressed the £10.28 million Neighbourhood Regeneration Fund to deliver neighbourhood tourism, social economy and environmental sustainability projects across the city; one project on site in west Belfast – The Michael Davitt’s Community Heritage Centre.
- Secured Shared Prosperity Funding in 2024 to 2025 for pitch and playground improvements, the Vacant to Vibrant scheme and feasibility studies for key sites and assets.
- Completed Local Investment Fund projects including Mercy Primary School, Star Neighbourhood Centre and Women's Tec.
- Completed Urban Village projects at Pitt Park and Hosford Community Homes; on-site works ongoing for Sandy Row Arts and Digital Hub, ABC Trust Phase 2, and Titanic People Exhibition Centre; additional starts planned for Ballysillan Playing Fields, Coffee Culture, and the Lockhouse.
- Delivered multi-million-pound improvements to parks and open spaces for better health and wellbeing, including progressing Cathedral Gardens (state-of-the art city centre open space), major park upgrades like the £6.9 million Urban Villages Ballysillan Playing Fields, and ongoing Greenways development for enhanced connectivity.
- Continued engagement to help shape the next phase of leisure transformation.
Creating safe and shared spaces
Partners are dedicated to fostering safe, inclusive, and shared spaces across Belfast through the Good Relations Strategy and collaborative actions via the Shared City Partnership. By securing investments from the now-closed Peace IV Programme and the new PEACEPLUS Local Action Plan, we are building vibrant, connected places that promote community cohesion.
PEACEPLUS Local Action Plan
This initiative has secured £15.1 million to support revenue and capital projects that enhance peaceful, thriving communities, cultural diversity, and shared spaces.
Case study: LGBT+ Hub (2 Royal Avenue)
Almost £1 million funding has been secured and work underway to create a new LGBTQIA+ Hub at the 2 Royal Avenue building, funded by the PEACEPLUS programme. This investment will create a communal and supportive space for various cultural communities, including the LGBTQIA+ community, as part of the building's broader transformation into a cultural and creative hub.
Delivery highlights and progress
- 16 revenue projects comprising 22 elements across three themes (Thriving and Peaceful Communities, Celebrating Culture and Diversity, and Building Positive Relations).
- Contracted delivery partners for eight elements in the Thriving and Peaceful Community theme, with community-level implementation underway.
- Contracted partners for five elements in the Celebrating Culture and Diversity theme; two additional projects under assessment.
- Funded five new capital projects: LGBTQIA+ Hub at 2 Royal Avenue, Annadale Open Space (south Belfast), Distillery Street Redevelopment (west Belfast), Access to the Hills (north Belfast), and Sanctuary Theatre (east Belfast).
- Additional funding for Reconnected Belfast – Waterworks and Alexandra Park (details on project deliverables pending). Launched in April 2025, with five design information sessions held, design team procurement underway, and planning application in progress.
Peace IV Programme
In 2024, we completed two landmark projects under the EU's Peace IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), with support from the Department for Communities, the Department of Rural and Community Development in Ireland, and Belfast City Council. These developments promote community cohesion, inclusivity, and sustainable spaces.
Delivery highlights and progress
- Shankill Shared Women’s Centre (£7.8 million): A vibrant hub providing tailored services for women and families from diverse backgrounds, in partnership with Clonard Women’s Group, creating an inclusive environment for connection and growth. It offers vital programmes and networks in a warm, shared space designed to help women from different communities connect, thrive, and build stronger futures.
- Black Mountain Shared Space (£7 million): Removed over 30 metres of peace wall at the former Finlay’s factory site on Ballygomartin Road, establishing a welcoming space with essential services and activities to bridge divides and foster social cohesion. It provides essential services and activities to encourage dialogue among diverse groups, promoting unity and long-term community bonds.
Community Support Plan
In June 2025, following extensive consultation and engagement Belfast City Council ratified a new Community Support Plan. This plan includes as one of its underpinning principles a commitment to ‘contribute to tackling poverty through community support services through proactive measures and activity which seek to positively change the life experiences of local communities and their residents’.
The Community Support Plan is the delivery plan for a number of different initiatives that provide services that support those in poverty such as Advice Services and Social Supermarkets.
From April 2023 to 31 March 2025, we have supported 25,149 individuals through the Social Supermarket Programme, providing £1,350,439 to 27 projects.
These community-led models offer affordable food alongside wrap-around support, such as benefit checks, debt advice, training, employment guidance and childcare. Delivery models are tailored to meet local needs, from shop-style setups in community organisations to specialised support for groups like domestic violence survivors or people with disabilities.
From April 2023 to 31 March 2025, Belfast City Council provided funding of £2.07 million to advice services in the city who supported over 50,000 individuals with access to free, independent advice.
Area-based community plans
Through the Belfast Agenda we are committed to collaborating with government departments and community partners to develop area-based community plans. These plans reflect local needs and priorities, enabling targeted actions to drive meaningful change at a neighbourhood level and are developed by engaging communities to identify local needs, challenges and opportunities.
Supported by the Executive Office and Department for Communities, Neighbourhood Renewal Partners in north Belfast conducted extensive engagement and action planning, resulting in a comprehensive Area Plan for North Belfast. We are committed to exploring opportunities to deliver the North Belfast Plan and to support similar processes in other parts of Belfast.
Wider University and Lower Ormeau (WULO)
In the Wider University and Lower Ormeau area, partners have collaborated to tackle systemic societal challenges, tailoring resources, projects or interventions to improve outcomes for residents.
Following extensive engagement, a multi-agency action plan was created to address crime, community cohesion and well-being. Funded by the Public Health Authority, South District Policing and Community Safety Partnership and Belfast City Council, an Area Intervention Manager has been appointed to lead on the delivery of the action plan and serve as a community champion on behalf of partners.
