Welcome to our annual report covering the April 2021 – March 2022 period. Whilst our previous reporting period was consumed with tackling Covid, this period has been a combination of dealing with Covid and trying to get back to some sort of normal functioning, probably like so many of you. Like everyone who is reading this, April 2020 to March 2021 was a very different year to any previous years through our 50+ year history.
We have slowly introduced more face-to-face meetings, following the government guidelines, which seemed to change every other week. Staff have been based in the office more and this has helped staff connect again, nothing like bouncing an idea of a colleague who is in the same room as you! By year end we were at full strength of, in the office and delivery to the community sector in East Belfast.
We were please and humbled to have won 3 awards this year, the EastSide Award for Excellence in Health & Wellbeing, the Inspire Workplace Award and the Belfast Healthy City Mental Health Award. Huge congratulations to our Board and staff on these awards.
This is the second year of reporting on our 5-year strategy “People Build Communities”. This report is following the new format as we are reporting all of our work under our three themes agreed in the strategy 2020-2025, these are:
Theme 1 – Community Support & Capacity Building:
To assess the needs of the community sector and work with other key organisations to:
- recognise the principles and values of adopting a community development approach
- draw up support programmes that develop the community sector
- plan projects that lead to more collaborative working
- develop plans and strategies that build capacity
- advocate on behalf of and with communities
- seek to influence the policies of community, voluntary, government and statutory agencies.
Theme 2 – Community Resource & Finance Services:
To manage our human and physical resources and promote good financial management practiced the community sector by:
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offering financial management advice and guidance
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providing financial training and support services
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providing a payroll and community accountancy service
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managing and maintaining East Belfast Network Centre
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ensuring the sector is up to date in charity compliance.
Theme 3 – Community Health Development:
To encourage, support and facilitate the provision of community health programmes and projects that:
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seek to influence the health policies of community, voluntary, government and statutory agencies
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promote and provide opportunities for health education and training
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support the community sector to recognise the value of adopting a community development health approach in their work
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builds the capacity of the communities in East Belfast to develop collective solutions to their health problems
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plan and deliver health projects that lead to more collaborative working.
Mission
East Belfast Community Development Agency
exists to provide resources, support and capacity
building programmes for community groups that
are based on partnership, equal opportunities and sustainable outcomes.
Theory of Change
EBCDA’s job is to add value to the activity undertaken by groups in local areas and to work with key organisations to ensure the continued development of a community sector in East Belfast that is recognised, valued and effective.
We seek to support successful community development, encourage reflective practice and promote cooperation and locally based solutions.
Thanks
We are grateful to our staff team and Board of Directors for their time, effort and commitment to EBCDA. Thanks also to our funders, Department for Communities (DfC) Belfast City Council (BCC), the Public Health Agency (PHA), The Executive Office and the Community Empowerment Directorate (CED). Thank you also to our members for their support and working closely with us to build towards achieving our strategy for 2020-2025 “People Build Communities”
Karen Purdy, Chair
Michael Briggs, Executive Director
Annual Report Sections