Newtownabbey community groups welcome Stormont's return after 'long' two years

Northern Ireland was left without a functioning Executive for two years following the DUP’s decision to pull down the institutions in 2022 in opposition to the trading conditions imposed on the province following post-Brexit negotiations, before the Assembly was restored earlier this month.

Over the past two years the cost of living crisis has hit communities across Northern Ireland hard, while industrial action and strikes have been staged by members of the public sector in a bid to have pay parity with their counterparts across Britain.

The Community Relations Forum, founded in 2003, is a voluntary organisation focused on promoting good community relations across Newtownabbey, by encouraging honest and open dialogue, enabling people to have a better understanding of and respect for each others views and opinions.

Kathy Wolff, who is project manager at the Glengormley-based initiative, highlighted some of the challenges facing the public across the borough and how a fully-functioning Stormont could benefit those in need.

She said: “Two years may not seem a long time, but in funding terms for the community sector, it is.

"We at the Community Relations Forum during Covid, worked very hard to support the communities that we worked and lived in with food boxes, mental health packs, pre-loved school uniform stations and lots of other support.

“Just as we felt things were looking up, a lack of government, meant that projects, funding and future planning were put on hold. Core funding to keep us up and running was secured, however, with no budgets being set by government ministers, it unfortunately took five months to then tell us we had a 10 per cent cut in funding.

“This is a lot to find for anyone in the community sector, especially without warning. We are not the only voluntary and community organisation going through these problems.

“The cost of living crisis and the rising cost of electricity and gas has affected many households. More and more people need help and support.”

She added: "My hope is that with an Executive in place we can now look at supporting families in need, getting a health service that meets our needs, get an education service that provides the right education for all our children and roads that are fit for purpose. Well, the list could go on and on.

"For us here, at the Community Relations Forum, we hope that we can get the help needed to support our community with all the complex issues that Covid and no Executive have left us with. This community needs community education, mental health support as well as support for those that are lonely and going through hard times and that’s just a few of the things that we at Community Relations Forum are involved in helping.

"The community in Newtownabbey are very supportive of us at The Barron Hall and the JFK saying ‘Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country’ fits right in here.”

These sentiments have been echoed by Brian Kerr, Chair of Rathcoole-based Listening Ear, a charity established in 2018 to provide support for clients on issues such as debt and welfare advice, housing, mental health, suicide prevention and drug and alcohol awareness.

Mr Kerr stated: “The return of the Executive means that there are local MLAs who know the work that’s needed and is being delivered by charities and voluntary groups on the ground. This conduit had been missing for the last two years.

“Prior to the suspension of the Assembly, the Health Minister had introduced funding for cancer charities’ support, carers’ support and mental health support.

"These two-year pilot programmes of a 10-year strategy have proven to work and deliver on behalf of the community and the Department of Health.

"Listening Ear would hope with the return of the Executive and the return of Robin Swann as Health Minister, that these programmes would be continued and funded to address and meet the 10-year strategy.

"These programmes are supporting those in need and saving lives. In relation to mental health, the programme allowed for support to be delivered at grassroots level, instead of at statutory level, while engaging and supporting statutory bodies.

"These services provide quick access to services at community level.”

Mr Kerr added: “Over the last two years at Listening Ear, we have seen an increase in homelessness due to the cost of living crisis, high mortgage rates, landlords evicting private tenants to enable them to sell their properties and insufficient social housing builds.

"With the return of the Executive, Listening Ear hope that strategies and action plans will be implemented to increase the number of new build social housing and programmes to support those impacted by the cost of living crisis.”

The restoration of the Stormont Executive has also been welcomed by members of the Newtownabbey Arts and Cultural Network (NACN).

The group, which meets at The Diamond in Rathcoole, provides a range of arts and cultural programmes for young people across Newtownabbey and north Belfast, including training opportunities, a singing academy and trips.

Speaking to the Newtownabbey Times, Rikki Sawyer, a coordinator at NACN Coole Studios, explained: “As NACN receives funding from the National Lottery, we didn't experience significant financial impacts due to the non-functioning Stormont Executive.

"However, there were occasions when additional support would have been helpful. Now that the Assembly is operational again, we fully endorse this development as it benefits everyone positively.”