In November 2008 I was invited to speak at the Advice NI Annual General Meeting at Grosvenor House.  On behalf of the people in the Village I requested that the DSD continue to work with the local community regarding the sub standard housing, the regeneration of the Village area and to implement all strategies involved with The Village being an area of Urban Renewal.  I had taken a back seat in the Village Housing Focus Committee due to family demands however I always intended to stay within this group and highlight all housing issues to both the local community and all Government Departments.

Sometimes you get to meet remarkable people within this job.  One such person is Tommy Fulton.  I visited Tommy on June 6^th 2008 and he reminded me that it was D Day.  To my shame I did not realise this and Tommy highlighted the fact that there wasn’t one article in the British press to commemorate what he and others had done in the campaign to liberate Europe in the battle against Fascism in June 1944.  Tommy was a British Marine Commando who was one of the first to land on Gold Beach, Normandy, June 1944.  I found him to be a real gentleman, a real soldier.  I contacted Pete Bleakley from Northern Visions Television who agreed to produce a Remembrance Programme interviewing World War 2 veterans.  Tommy talks at length about his experiences during World War 2 in the interview and copies of this DVD can be obtained via the Advice Department.  Plans are also underway to enable Tommy and wife Agnes to attend the 65^th Anniversary of D Day in June 2009.  I have contacted Norman Mc Narry from the Fields of Conflict organisation to help this happen.  Norman has vast experience in this field as he has been running battle tours to France for a number of years.

In March 2009 the Advice Department relocated to the Richview Regeneration Centre, Donegall Road.  The premises which the Advice Department was housed in are to be demolished and a brand new therapies building will open sometime in the near future.  I can be contacted via Windsor Women's Centre 02890235451 or via my direct mobile number 07590429200.

Belfast Urban Collective: In August 2008 the British Urban Collective visited Belfast.  The British Urban Collective is a charitable organisation headed by Harry Leckstein, Freeport record label entrepreneur who founded the Urban Collective in inner city London to find the musical and creative talent within deprived communities.  The calibre of talent found within Belfast was second to none and I am pleased to state that quite a few Donegall Road residents auditioned and were accepted onto the Belfast Urban Collective experience. 

After one weeks training at the Oh Yeah centre the trainees were then taken to Kaya Studios, Belfast to record the tracks they had written.  Produced by Resin, London Urban Collective, these tracks will appear on the British Urban Collective Album due for release summer 2009.  Tracks by local women, the highly talented Laura Magill and the somewhat special Carrie Hislop will appear on this album.  Other participants include  local rockers ; In The Name Of, Indie Kings; The Monday Club, drum and bass Queen;  MC Kat, the highly gifted percussionist;  Rohan Young,  the equally gifted;  hell for leather drummer with band Residual Effect Gerry Gallagher, mixing legend and acoustic guitarist; John Gallagher, powerful local vocalist;  Claire Magill.  The commitment from all participants was A1, the talent was outstanding, the enthusiasm was addictive and the professionalism of the artists was really inspiring.

Windsor Women's Centre has also secured funding from Execution Charitable Trust to build a state of the art sound recording studio.  However due to the lack of physical space available within Windsor Women's Centre it is necessary for us to find suitable premises preferably within the local Donegall Road/Village areas.  David Preston, Chairperson, Belfast Urban Collective is in negotiations with Ortis Management Company to secure premises inside the newly purpose built Richview Regeneration Centre, Donegall Road.

The Belfast Urban Collective has a Management Committee in place, we have an agreed Constitution and we are awaiting Charitable Status.  David Preston, Chairperson has applied to the Arts Council for funding so hopefully we will receive much needed financial help from this funding stream.  Strong links have been formed with the Andersonstown School of Music, Ballycastle Music Forum and the Oh Yeah Centre in Belfast City Centre.  

I sincerely hope that the recording studio is up and running within the next three months.  This will enable community groups, solo artists, bands and others to record at competitive prices within the music industry.  This has been an extremely interesting and informative project.  I would like to sincerely thank those artists who participated and I sincerely hope that you will all avail of our recording studio when it is up and running.

Joanne Smit

Belfast Urban Collective

Below is a quote from the founder Harry Leckstein

The Belfast Urban Collective project provided our team with a fascinating insight into the city, its passionate people and its thriving creative culture. Thirty artists, from a diverse range of backgrounds and influences, came together, trained together and recorded a dozen tracks of outstanding music while their live shows at The Pavilion, The John Hewitt and Livery’s crackled with anticipation and energy. Freeport look forward to being able to return to Belfast in 2009 / 2010 to find another Collective and build on the solid foundations that have been laid, including being able to record in the new Belfast Urban Collective studio.