## **Areema Residents Association** 

## **Annual Report 2018** 

## **Objectives and Activities** 

The Association was formed to develop a cross-community approach to promote the benefit of the inhabitants of Areema by associating with statutory and voluntary partners to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of housing and social welfare with the object of improving the quality of life for all residents. 

The Association maintains a drop-in community base and provides a resource for residents to report issues and concerns to local agencies. The Association also meets regularly with the Housing Executive, (the local public landlord), the City Council and other public bodies to tackle issues of estate management, reports of anti-social behaviour and other areas of local concern. 

The Association also provides access to services which might not otherwise be available, for example through working with local Health Trust workers to provide additonal services and support to vulnerable households. The Association has been meeting with relevant agencies over the up-grade of a local playpark and the provision of new and more housing. 

## **Achievements and Performance** 

The Association runs a community flat which is open two days per week and provides an opportunity for residents to seek advice and support regarding housing, environmental, policing issues etc.  Residents are encouraged to drop in to the flat to raise concerns or complaints, which we as an Association raise with the applicable organisation/individual, primarily through our quarterly inter-agency meetings.  These meetings are in the community flat and include various statutory representatives.  Annually we complete an estate inspection which identifies any issues within the estate.  Agencies are actioned to respond accordingly. 

Over the course of the year we continued to open the office at on at least two days on most weeks throughout the year, public holidays and other holidays excepted. We maintained a tight control of our office expenditure 

We reported back on a playground survey in response to a consultation from Belfast City Council; we received a response from over 150 households and were able to secure residents wishes in the face of the Councils proposals. We had regular meetings with the City Council, with residents, with Councillors and with other stakeholders. 

We also provided a regular local point of contact for housing management in the estate and held a surgery for local residents on housing issues throughout the year. 

Over the course of the last year we have held 5 interagency meetings, 2 meetings relating to the estate inspection and follow up and a series of public and open meetings on the City Councils proposals to relocate the playpark to a site unfavoured by parents and residents 



and we held regular meetings in the community flat with local councillors, with local council staff and with housing managers. 

We have regular committee and group meetings in the community flat 

We made information relating to the Councils proposals available in the community flat for public information and made information on the housing development proposals in the area available to local residents in the community flat and communicated such information to affected households 

We raised the issues identified locally with the stakeholder organizations and remedied those as best we could and we raised issues of concern in terms of neighbour nuisance and anti-social behaviour with local statutory bodies, including policing and housing and health professionals. 

The Treasurer has continued to maintain an effective means of managing and recording all our expenditure and we include in the Annual Report of the Association the audited statement of accounts and the report from our independent examiner.