Windsor Women's Centre

Co-ordinators Report 2008

As will be apparent throughout this report there is never a quiet time at Windsor Women’s Centre. In 19 years the organisation has continued to grow, develop and respond to need both locally and district wide.

It makes us proud of the organisation and everyone involved with it, to see that, together, we make a difference. The Centre was recently described as “an excellent example of achieving a learning culture throughout the whole organisation by developing staff, volunteers and beneficiaries”.

Unfortunately we reached the end of our funding from Children In Need for Childcare Co-ordinator and would like to thank them for their loyal support over the last 7 years and understand their own financial constraints, and hope that we may be able to work with them in the future.

Another long term funding stream with Probation Board Northern Ireland has also ceased after 15 years, however we will obviously continue to provide placements for women under community service orders

On a more positive note we continue to work with Execution Trust. The after schools project has finally come to fruition as we are about to open our new building in Broadway, this has been long awaited by the children in the area and will be their first after schools room of their own that doesn’t have to be shared with the Education unit.

This year Windsor has continued to work in partnership with a number of statutory agencies, both to promote the organisation’s aims and objectives and to contribute to the development of the work of the Women’s sector as well as the Village area.

There are details of the organisation’s work throughout this report but we would particularly like to highlight a number of notable achievements during the year:

· Strategic Planning day for the Education department

· The New Children’s Centre successfully opened on the Donegal Road

· Child Pilot Project work with Sandy Row Community Centre

· Joint work with the Women’s Support Network & new Belfast HealthTrust

· Women’s Centre’s Regional Partnership including - Launch of contribution of Women Centre’s to their local communities

· WRDA – Launch of the Women In Conflict report -2 groups from Windsor participated in this project

· WAVE – Eleanor successfully completed 2 year Diploma in Trauma Studies

· NAPS – Eleanor successfully elected again as an area representative for another 3 years

· Attended meeting on Education & Early Years with C. Ruane

· Invited to meet the South African Commissioner at Hillsborough Castle

· Co-operation Ireland – Beyond Barriers 3 year project finished with Inishowen Women’s group

· Arts & Business – Partnership work with Strategem

· Board member of South Belfast Partnership Board

· Windsor participated in the Arts festival in Botanic

· Attended the Peace conference at Queens

· Attended the Peace by Piece conference

· Participated on Re-imaging Communities project

· Successfully worked with Execution Trust to refurbish a derelict house for our new after schools unit

· Surestart Board visit to Dublin

· Successfully awarded funding from Dean’s Sit-out Campaign

· Belfast Urban Collective, partnership work to build music studio in area, held a week of additions 4 in City Centre 1 in village

· Brought Cancer Research bus to Village for women’s health checks

· NVTV filmed our work with the housing group and housing issues in area

· Successfully held 3 rallies to support housing issues in Village

· Attended feminist discussion at Unison as part of International Women’s Day celebrations

· Brought the Talent Tribe organisation to the Village for young people to gain opportunities and skills in a range of music, media, technical, production and drama, held 2 days of auditions with over 90 young people attending

Use of Building by

· Greater Village Regeneration Trust Board meetings

· Housing Focus Group

· Housing Protest Group

· Village Focus Group

· Surestart Board & development training days

· Child Pilot working group

· Neighbourhood Area Partnership

· Timber Recycling Environmental Enterprise meetings & training group

· Village Youth Forum

· Public meetings re: housing

· Highland Dancers weekly classes