Creche heralds new era
WHEN THE WHITEROCK Creche Association launched its development
plan on 13 November 1997 it marked five years of hard work and
bore witness to a unique partnership with the GAA.
The Creche Association and St John's GAC on the Whiterock Road
had linked up in 1992 to create a new purpose built youth and
children's centre which opened in 1997.
The Whiterock Creche provided a very successful childcare
facility within the Belfast Institute of Higher and Further
Education (BIHFE), but was limited by its lack of space and
access to long term funding.
St John's on the other hand which provided sporting facilities
for up to 300 young people between the ages of six to 18 wished to
develop a greater capacity for young people and benefit the wider
community. It had land available, but no funding. Out of this
came the partnership between the creche and St John's and with
European money, Making Belfast Work (MBW) and Belfast City
Council the project now has funding for three years. The creation
of the centre provides an integrated approach that has developed
a facility that will incorporate care, education, training and
enterprise development for the community.