Distribution of our Brian Mullan Community Fund Awards for 2021

In October 2021, the Association was delighted to again welcome applications from community or voluntary sector groups/organisations’ seeking to avail of essential funding to deliver projects and services within North Belfast.

Over the past few years, via this Fund, the Association has distributed in excess of £30,000 to 37 local groups/organisations throughout North Belfast.

Our Brian Mullan Community Fund initiative has been designed to support groups/organisations to deliver projects that promote inclusion, strengthen communities and improve individual’s lives.

A funding pot of £10,000 was again set aside this year by the Association’s Board of Management to ensure the successful delivery of the scheme.

The scheme closed on Friday, 5th November 2021 and a total of 17 applications totalling £15,282 were received from various groups/organisations throughout North Belfast.

All qualifying applications were recently assessed and scored by our ‘Assessment Panel’, made up of Newington tenants, employees and Board members, who distributed funding of up to £1,000 per project, to the successful applicants until the funding pot set aside is spent.

Due to the volume and standard of applications received, the Association’s Board met recently and agreed to increase the funding pot from £10k to £15k (for this year only) and awarded funding to all the 17 groups/organisations who applied.

The Association wishes to express our appreciation to all the organisations who took the time to apply for an award and we wish them every success in the delivery of their projects. We also wish to extend our gratitude to our tenants, staff and Board members on the ‘Assessment Panel’, who gave up their time, on a voluntary basis, to help deliver such a successful initiative.

The 17 successful groups/organisation were:

• Community Foodbank – North Belfast Christmas Family Support Hampers – £1,000.00

• Building Bridges Boxing Club – Making A Difference Project – £795.00

• 174 Trust – 18 – 25Yr. Old Disability Programme – £1,000.00

• Ardoyne Youth Club – The Innov8 Project – £1,000.00

• Carrickhill Residents Association – Carrickhil Re-Imaging Project – £1,000.00

• Jigsaw Community Centre – Counselling Sessions for Adults & Children – £1,000.00

• Camberwell Golden Club – Camberwell Court, Lisieux House & Richmond Lodge Christmas Lunch – £1,000.00

• The People’s Kitchen Belfast –  Hygiene and Homeless Packs – £540.00

• Holy Family Youth Club – Festive Neighbourhood/Lark in The Dark 2021 – £939.65

• North Belfast Interface Network – Cross Community Christmas Event – £1,000.00

• Ligoniel Improvement Association – Christmas Pensioners Luncheon – £994.00

• New Lodge Youth Centre –  NLYC Winter Wonderland – £1,000.00

• Benview Community Centre – Mental Wellbeing through Art @ Benview – £1,000.00

• Streetbeat Youth Project – Peer Mentoring Residential – £1,000.00

• Sailortown Regeneration – Sailortown Community Hub -£1,000.00

• North Belfast Men’s Shed – Cook It Programme/Cooking for 1 @ Home – £313.99

• Midland ABC – Reaching Out Project – £700.00