OUR GRANTS
Belfast Charitable Society has been addressing disadvantage for over 270 years, supporting people and communities in need.
ANAKA Women’s Collective
Anaka Collective (Migrant Women’s Education project) – funding was provided to cover the costs of two part time Education Project staff for 2 years to address education and skills gaps for school age children, young adults (aged 16-25) and women in the migrant community. They have delivered education clinics for women and children and developed English conversational classes and ran basic computer classes in Arabic. The group have also teamed up with QUB MSc TESOL and Applied Linguistics students and Refugee Language to run two English language pilot programmes enabling the youth group, who currently have no access to full-time education, to avail of tailor-made classes that will enable them to continue their educational journeys. Alongside these practical workshops and support the group have been involved in ongoing conversations with a range of stakeholders including school principals, politicians, government departments and community groups about the needs of migrant children, young people and parents in the educational system and potential solutions to the myriad of barriers and issues they face. The project has also recruited many volunteers to help deliver homework clubs, Maths & English classes, and children’s activities. With the Mary-Ann McCracken Foundation a creative writing and art workshop have also been delivered to the group
Family Early Intervention Support
Family Early Intervention programme – provides support services, within North Belfast, to families and children/young persons aged up to 18 years, in family relations, enhancing family functioning and increasing resilience of families. Linked into the local family support hub this programme ensures needs are identified and addressed through a multi-disciplinary approach (60+ organisations). BCS funded 2 part-time home visitors and vouchers for local families in need over a five-year period.
Creative Digital Hub
Creative Digital Hub – a facility based at St Malachys College to bring together students form North Belfast to develop their digital skills using VR machines, building and programming Lego robots and collaborating through projects in a state-of-the-art gaming arena. It delivers on the development of a Digital Transform Action Plan including Creative Digital Technology, championing the use of technology in all aspects of the curriculum. The project has strong links with industry and Ulster University. The Society was instrumental in its set up, supporting its installation and ongoing staff costs.
MARY ANN MCCRACKEN FOUNDATION GRANTS
Mary Ann McCracken Foundation – The Foundation celebrates the life and works of this remarkable woman, her legacy and relevance today. Looking at issues around poverty, modern day slavery, human rights, and equality – raising awareness and promoting conversations. The Society provides an annual grant to cover running costs and additional project costs such as the work with migrant women, using poetry as a vehicle to improve English language.
Mary Ann McCracken Post Primary bursaries – 16 years old plus students from 12 post primary schools in North Belfast have access to financial support to break down barriers to get into higher education, employment or training. Matched with a series of other funders including the Raj Darshna fund, the James Kane Foundation and Hunter Smyth fund.
PROMOTING PHILANTHROPY
Promoting Philanthropy – the Society facilitates conversation, work and action to increase philanthropy in NI, and to bring more resources to addressing disadvantage.
North Belfast Youth Choir
The North Belfast Youth Choir – consists of 150 young people from right across the area who avail of professional instruction and access the highest standard of choral and music tuition. The choir has appeared on national and international stages.
North Belfast Heritage Cluster
North Belfast Heritage Cluster – a network of local organisations that want to use their assets to catalyse regeneration in one of the most disadvantaged areas of NI, while ensuring the sustainability of members and building. The Society funds a smaller percentage of the National Lottery Heritage Fund projects making organisational and area wide improvements.
Great Place North Belfast
Belfast Charitable Society is working with 15 partner organisations on the Great Place North Belfast project. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Belfast Charitable Society, the project helps to raise awareness of historic buildings and sites stretching for one mile along Donegall Street, Clifton Street, the Crumlin Road and part of the Antrim Road. Find out more visit https://greatplacenorthbelfast.com/
Cost-of-Living Crisis Schools Support Fund
The Cost-of-Living Crisis Schools Support Fund – an initiative created by BCS to support schools in the most deprived areas of Belfast. Schools in these communities, which have already absorbed real-term cuts in their budgets, are suffering exponentially in this current crisis – and so are the children. The Society responded to this emergency rapidly and flexibly, getting support to the people who need it most as quickly as possible.
NI Hospice Palliative Nurses
NI Hospice Specialist Community Care Palliative Nurses – as more people opt to spend their last days at home these nurses provide the direct care and support needed to enable this to happen. The Society has funded salaries of two of four posts who provide pain management, work with families, and have specialist training in pancreatic cancer. This is a larger scale recruitment which is funded by the Department of Heath too.
Social Supermarket
The North Belfast Social Supermarket – a community food club known as The Pantry, set up and fitted out like a supermarket, opened its doors in April 2022. By the end of the summer, 45 local families in one of the most deprived areas of North Belfast had benefited from a ‘weekly shop’ for a nominal fee as well as additional support such as debt management and budgeting tools and techniques.
MANAGED FUNDS
Barbour Fund
Barbour Fund – This fund aims to support activities for older people, disadvantaged young people and employability. To date approx. £180,000 has been awarded: creating training courses and jobs; providing bursaries; delivering activities and placing hundreds of volunteers with older people.
Hunter Smyth Fund
The Hunter Smyth fund was established in 2022 through a partnership between the Smyth family and Belfast Charitable Society. The Society was approached by a philanthropic couple, who, having seen the work it was involved in, wished to support similar efforts.
The fund will support and empower and deliver activity to address disadvantage. It is anticipated that the fund will operate for 15 years. Its first grant has been awarded to support an excellent dementia and carers project in L’Derry.
