Community ownership of new West Belfast health project
by Ned Kelly
Sinn Fein's Alex Maskey, chairperson of the West Belfast European
Partnership Board (WBEPB) joined with senior researcher Naj Loughlin
and community, voluntary and statutory agency representatives to
launch a new health and social survey for West Belfast on Tuesday
March 23 in West Belfast's Springvale Training Centre.
The major new project, `The West Belfast Health & Advocacy Project',
funded by Making Belfast Work and the Down and Lisburn HSS Trust,
aims to establish the real health and social needs of people in the
Greater West Belfast area by interviewing 4000 households and draw up
action plans and develop new strategies to meet these needs.
The initial phase of the project will involve 50 locally recruited
and trained researchers carrying out random interviews. Areas to be
covered include Andersonstown, Suffolk, Falls, Lenadoon, Upper
Springfield, Milltown, Twinbrook and Poleglass.
Part of the second phase of the project will include a Benefit
Maximisation Drive in conjunction with the Citizen's Advice Bureau.
There will also be 50 given to the households completing the survey.
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