Housing Executive ensures Cullybackey is fully equipped
A gift of coffee-making equipment from The Housing Executive will keep on giving for many Christmases to come in Cullybackey in Co. Antrim.
Cullybackey Community Partnership were delighted to make use of this equipment at a recent festive coffee morning which forms part of their collective Forging Friendships project.
Altogether £3, 000 has been awarded to the partnership from a Housing Executive community grant and as well as purchasing this much appreciated equipment the group were also able to facilitate craft sessions and visits to other social enterprise projects as well as hosting pottery workshops and investing in an advertising campaign.
Samantha Peden, Community Development Officer, Cullybackey Community Partnership said, “I would just like to take this opportunity to publicly thank the Housing Executive for their support in our latest collective project, Forging Friendships.
“All of our activities help to address social isolation midst a cost-of-living crisis. For example, our pottery evening brought 15 people, primarily those in carer roles or those who can’t get away for long periods of time, together for two hours to create beautiful craft work at no cost.
“As a collective, this project has enabled us to widely address loneliness, social isolation, financial hardship and cost of living crisis, under one umbrella.
“Friendships have been at the heart of this project, nurturing established ones whilst cultivating new ones along the way.”
“Being involved gives a sense of purpose, belonging and is crucial for healthy mental health and overall wellbeing”
John Read, Housing Executive Good Relations Officer, Mid and East Antrim said, “We recognise that getting involved within the local community has huge rewards enabling all communities to reap the benefits.
“Forging Friendships is promoting social and community cohesion which can then be brought back to normal everyday life through lessons learned on a best practice visit or just a chat at the monthly coffee morning where social isolation is banished and mental health nurtured.
“Projects like this are leading the way promoting positive community interaction and experiences.”
The coffee mornings are supported by Radius Housing through their St Patrick’s ‘Housing for All’ Shared Housing Programme.