The PEACE Programmes Learning Platform Level 1

CARR is the only community organisation in an area of 1500 houses, which has two of the most volatile interfaces in North Belfast, which is the constituency most effected by the conflict, we work to a comprehensive strategic plan based on regular community consultation, our key areas of work are: Good Relations; Housing and Environment; Service Provision; Youth Provision. We have played a leadership role in building good relations in our locality, we are the only group in a mainly nationalist community bordered by two interfaces, Cavehill/Westland and Glandore/Skegoneill. We have facilitated community dialogue, challenged sectarianism/racism, managed interface conflict, created youth intervention and outreach projects, facilitated training and capacity building on a cross community basis, established a cross community women’s group along with many more positive projects and initiatives, the main vehicle's for delivering good relations in this area, which have been established through CARR are: Skegoneill and Glandore Common Purpose - Cross community and multi-agency group, established for three years, our aims are to build good relations across the interface and to create a shared community facility/enterprise right on the interface, jointly influence the regeneration of contested space in the area. We are working to a development plan and have developed a business plan for the shared community facility/enterprise. We have also completed a cross community attitudinal survey in over 200 homes in the area, youth and women’s focus groups have been established along with a cross community group of residents who actually live on the interface, this will feed into our future work. Cavehill/Westland Residents - This group was established in May 08 after a full year of nightly violence, residents came together at the behest of CARR to influence a multi-agency approach to the issue, creating maximum bottom up solutions, they had a big impact on re-imaging the area, securing youth outreach resources, reducing tension, agreeing working principles and creating a more peaceful local society. This work could not sustain and develop without the key infrastructure provided through CARR, our funding through the NBCAU ends in March 09, we are proposing a six month cushion covering salaries, revenue and overheads along with project costs, we will also be using this time to submit a comprehensive CAR-CEP application to Peace III when it opens in 2009, this will be based on an evaluation of the CEP and an exit strategy, if we lose the existing worker and revenue in the meantime, the infrastructure will collapse and progress will be damaged.