2024-03-31-annual-report - Glen Development Initiative

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•len Development Initiative 202&2024 Annual Report

Annual Report

Board of Directors

Chairperson – Dermot O’Hara Vice Chair – Sinead Mc Glinchey Treasurer – Maurice Bowe Secretary – Alex Doherty Director – Sebrina Wright Director – Maeve Mc Laughlin Director – Naomi Wright Director – Pat Mc Ananey Director – Sinead Murphy Director – Michael Cooper

Mission Statement

The Primary Objective of the Glen Development Initiative (GDI) is to improve the general area of the Glen Estate and Lower Rosemount areas of Derry City. GDI believes in the power of community to support the individual, and in the power of the individual to support community.

The four Pillars of Neighbourhood Renewal form the basis of the GDI 5 Year Development Plan i.e.:

Community;
Social;
Physical; and
Economic.

Our mission is to be a gathering place for art, education, recreation and community.

Glen Development Initiative Glenview Community Centre Cedar Street, Derry BT480EG

Ph: 02871268748 Email:

Company No: NI 060479 HMRC No: XR 97898 Registered Charity NIC101280

Chairperson Report

I would like to congraulate all of the staff, volunteers and fellow directors for all their hard work and committement of the previous 12 months.

It is clear to see that GDI are continuing to engage with the local community to address their issues and needs. Our service has continued to grow and expand even though we continue to use an outdated and not fit for purpose community centre. In the contents of this report you will see how every strand of the community is catered for within our organisation.

GDI will continue to ensure those most in need are not forgotten and will provide services to protect those in our community.

Finaly I’d like to wish Lexie Doherty the very best as he retires from the GDI. Lexie was a key founder of our organisation and laid the groundwork for the work that continues within our community today.

Dermot O’Hara

Chiarperson

Projects, Programs & Events

GLEN PARENT AND TODDLER’S

The group continues to operate 3 days per week, this year we trailed a parent and child session on a Tuesday but uptake was not good. Unfortunately due to the size of the hall we continue to have a waiting list for those looking to access our services. The group run a number of activities including Jo Jingles and Wee Heart Art. We had a number of additional activities throughout the year including a bus trip to Rose Park Farm. Visits from Kidz Farm and entertainment from Parky the Magician. We have run health and pamper days for the parents where they get the opportunity for some self care. The group promotes and encourages adults and children to learn and play together in a safe and secure environment.

GLEN YOUTH CLUB

Over the last year, we have delivered a wide range or programmes covering areas such as health improvement, addressing risk-taking behaviours, personal and social development, CRED and educational attainment. These projects include:

Senior mental health
Disability Awareness
Stereotyping
Bonfire and firework safety
Drugs and alcohol awareness
Vaping/smoking awareness
Crime prevention and ASB/ACB
Young people and the law
2x young men’s projects
2x young women’s projects
Amnesty International
3 x careers programmes to address future
employability
3x community relations and intergenerational projects
4 x Improving resilience programmes
Project Sparks youth employability programme
4x volunteer programmes

In addition to this, we have developed 5 young staff members and engaged them in employment, 12 new volunteers for our junior youth club, and worked alongside St. Mary’s College, Rosemount Primary School, St. Annes Primary School, and North West Regional College to provide support and programmes to students.

63 young people volunteered at various community events throughout the year, including our Easter, Halloween, and Christmas parties, two tea dances, the House of Horrors, the Glen YC summer scheme, Glen Feile summer fun days, and much more.

GLEN MEN’S SHED & HEN SHED

The Glen Men Shed has had another very successful year engaging with local men and addressing issues related to men’s health and well being. We have seen a high increase of men being referred from social workers/ trust although this is welcome we do not have the resources to meet such a high need. This year also seen our group celebrate 5[th] birthday. This year our groups have been involved in –

➢ Men’s Health Week
➢ Cross community programme where our members visited Somme Museum in Bangor, the group also participated in a visit to Downpatrick to trace the Steps of St. Patrick. The group also visited the Tour Museum to learn of the history of the city.
➢ We provide a tool shed with a living roof for local primary school
➢ International Men’s Health Events
➢ Our members took part in Emergency First Aid training.
➢ Supporting GDI with seasonal events.

GREATER GLEN WOMEN’S GROUP

The Tuesday woman’s group continues to grow and over the last year they have completed many projects and activities including 6 week make up course followed by 6 week nail course they completed a 1 day first aid course and had pink ladies in for a chat. They took part in ‘Goal Diggers’ project to promote setting and achieving personal goals through exercise, health eating and mindfulness. We have celebration events on completion of projects and treat the ladies to lovely pamper days. With thanks to everyone to helps support these groups and also to the volunteers and Funders

The group continue to meet every Wednesday from 6-7.30pm

They continue to grow and really enjoy taking part in their weekly activities the group is very much involved in the decision making of what the group want they completed knitted hats and donated them to the neonatal unit they had a day trip away to Donegal town to visit Donegal castle and have completed cultural cooking classes the class has completed wax melt workshops, Zumba class line dancing essential oils workshops pamper session health events and have also started working on skill exchange within their group some of the members have started teaching the rest of the group crocheting this will be an ongoing project

which different group members teaching new skills to the rest of the group. The group was part of a very successful international woman’s day event where we had over 70 youth and ladies attend.

GLEN GOLDEN YEARS CLUB

The Group has increased in numbers and it’s great to see people of the local area taking part in this group. The group continue with chair based exercise and this has become a regular in their programme of activities as has bingo which they donate the prizes for themselves. The group have enjoyed taking part in a pebble art project funded through Positive Ageing. Line dancing classes funded though NHIP intergenerational events health and pamper sessions. They continue to attend the bowling alley on the first Thursday of the month for their lunch and have enjoyed activities such as healthy eating classes, fruit art, Boccia competitions. Easter and Halloween and Christmas parties they have also attended multiple trips to Belfast Christmas markets and in the summer to Glen Columbkille village and then to the Villa Rose for dinner CSF. Glen golden years is a thriving group.

Success North West

From April 23 to March 24 Success Northwest has run Makaton Training, CSR and ADR training, SIA,Emergency First Aid, Cooking on a Budget – Smart Shopper and Cooking on a Budget – Family Budget. We have worked alongside Dunluce Family Centre, Ashmore House and The Men’s Methodist Mission to help socially excluded people integrate back into society and provide training opportunities. We have also offered services in The Village Hub, BHCP and Foyle Jobs & Benefits Office to help support the wider community.

OTHER PROGRAMMES AND EVENTS

In addition to this GDI has been involved in a wide range of new and exciting programmes this has included.

Glen Community Garden Continues to provide a space for local residents to grow their own. This year we received vital funding from the Department of Communities to concrete a path network to improve access and health and safety on site.
ASK Advice services- We continue to offer welfare rights advice through Amanda Mc Dermot and Pauline Daniels who do this on top of other roles.
Halloween – HAUNTED HOUSE – which attracted 3,500 visitors
St.Patricks Day Family Fun Day, although a wash out was well attended and provide free family fun for local residents in the Glen Play Park
Our Summer Festival continues to grow and expand which now includes community away days, fun days in the Glen Play Park and Lindenwood with a finale in Doire Colmcille on 15[th] August with over 700 people in attendance.
Our photography group has expanded and now runs once per week.
Cnoc Na Ros Snooker Club continues to use our centre the group are being supported by our manager.
We have continued to support local residents and have recenlty held a residents information meeting with Ulster University to allow them to engage and express their views on the potential community impact.
In March we brough together over 50 users of our projects and programmes to discuss our actions for the next 5 years and how to develop and grow our services.
We continue to deliver over 3000 newsletters throughout the year to promote our services and ensure all residents have access to these.
In August we launched our very successful Hill Walking group which tackled a number of hills and mountains across the North and restarted again in the spring of the year.
We continue to support Doire Colmcille and have a very successful partnership with this vital sporting organisation within our community.

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Managers’ Report

Vision for the 12 months

I would like to thank all our staff and volunteers who have continued to work to provide first class services to the community of the Greater Glen area.

A special thanks to our funders with their support we have been able to continue to grow our services and have a more deep and meaningful impact.

In the next 12 months we will launch our stragetic action plan which will lay out key targets for our organisation over the next 5 years, this plan has been lead and developed by our community and it is GDI job to go and achieve these actions.

The next 12 months will see our organisation tender for a number of peace applications which again will allow us to expand our services.

The work you see contained within this report shows the incredibile work that our staff and volunteers take on throughout the year, GDI has now become one of the stand out community development organisations within the city but rather than standstill we continue to grow and expand and focus on addressing the needs of our community.

Development Initiative