Community Cohesion Training

Eleven NNHAZ communities were represented at an innovative ‘Community Cohesion’ training residential held at the Bushtown Hotel, Coleraine on 24th-25th February 2006.  Over 30 delegates attended the course, developed and delivered by Laura O’Dowd, Training Co-ordinator, Northern Ireland Tenants Action Project (NITAP).  

The ‘Community Cohesion’ course is accredited by the Open College Network at Level 1 and this was the first time the course had been delivered in Northern Ireland.  The two day residential course highlighted the importance of promoting community cohesion through individuals, organisations and local committees.  The course programme provided a unique learning opportunity for participants and equipped them with the knowledge and understanding to improve and strengthen their local community infrastructure.

The training programme meets one of the core themes of the Health Action Zone – ‘improving access to opportunities for education and empowerment’.  Participants were provided with the opportunity to learn a range of new skills and explore a host of issues to promote cohesion within communities.  Equality issues were high on the agenda throughout the course and participants got the opportunity to examine these issues in relation to current law and their everyday work within the community.  It is hoped that the learning gained by the delegates will be transferred into positive practice within each local NNHAZ area and result in greater community cohesion.

On a practical level, group work sessions encouraged delegates to share their own experiences.  All of the Health Action Zone communities were encouraged to identify examples of discrimination which have a negative effect on their communities and to discuss and develop positive actions to address these and build good relations for the future.  The event also provided opportunities for the NNHAZ neighbourhoods to network with each other and catch-up on each others progress.