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Training Fund: Building Housing Expertise to Support North Belfast Communities

Training Fund: Building Housing Expertise to Support North Belfast Communities

Training Fund: Building Housing Expertise to Support North Belfast Communities

Monday, January 27, 2025

 

Ian from Castle Community Trust is empowering North Belfast with enhanced housing support, thanks to Housing Rights training backed by our Training Fund

Castle Community Trust has been a vital presence in Lower North Belfast since 2008, working to foster community in one of Northern Ireland’s most deprived areas. As a social regeneration charity, it delivers essential support to children, young people, families and interest groups. By addressing the region’s cycles of intergenerational poverty and social exclusion, the Trust aims to enrich lives, revitalise the local area and nurture prosperity. Certain community development projects covered by the Trust include childcare, education, employment and training initiatives, as well as cultural and arts programmes.

The Need

The Trust operates in the Inner North Belfast Neighbourhood Renewal area, ranked among the top 10% most deprived areas in Northern Ireland. This environment has left children and young people with low self-esteem, poor educational expectations and a lack of familial role models. Additional challenges faced by the community include interface violence, overcrowded housing, family breakdowns, substance abuse and high levels of unemployment.

“We have an ever-increasing housing list here in Northern Ireland which has surpassed 50,000, with many of them presenting as homeless.”

As a full-time housing officer, Ian recognised the urgent need to enhance his knowledge and skills to better address these complex challenges. Local residents often face difficulties navigating the housing system, including accessing social housing, understanding housing benefits and managing tenancies. Ian’s goal was to build stronger community ties, foster sustained tenancies and reduce anti-social behaviour through informed housing advice and advocacy.

The Training

“The OCN level 3 housing advice training is critical for me as a full-time housing officer to understand the processes around housing advice.”

Thanks to the Training Fund, Ian completed an OCN Level 3 Housing Rights training course. The course covered a wide range of topics, including social housing, private rental schemes, home ownership and housing benefits. Delivered through a mix of theoretical and practical sessions, the training equipped Ian with the tools needed to provide comprehensive housing advice and to foster stronger relationships with housing authorities. 

“This will benefit our community by providing a safer and more welcoming environment for our tenants. Through creating this environment, we hope to create more sustained tenancies, grow a community atmosphere locally, reduce the level of issues within local communities.” 

The Impact

Ian’s training has significantly enhanced the Trust’s capacity to support its community. Equipped with up-to-date knowledge, he now serves as a local point of contact for housing issues, bridging the gap between residents and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. This partnership has already led to improved communication, quicker resolution of housing issues and a stronger sense of community. 

By providing informed advice, Ian has helped local residents navigate complex housing processes, reducing stress and uncertainty. The training has also enabled the Trust to tackle antisocial behaviour and foster a safer, more inclusive environment. Residents have expressed greater trust in Castle Community Trust’s ability to advocate on their behalf, contributing to increased community cohesion and cross-community relationships. 

“The application process was so straightforward to apply. The help and funding I applied for have helped me a great deal and will further my experience around housing and I am ever so thankful to St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity for giving me this opportunity.” 

 

If you have, or your team has, a training need that you are struggling to pay for

APPLY TO OUR TRAINING FUND

and we will do all that we can to help.

 

Find out more about Castle Community Trust: Castle Community Trust Belfast 

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