Justice Minister David Ford has highlighted the importance of social enterprises following a visit to Downpatrick.
The Minister said that social enterprises play a vital role in helping to provide opportunities for people who may feel marginalised and so help strengthen communities.
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DOJ Minister David Ford, third right, at the Downpatrick Social Enterprise Hub in Downpatrick visits the Pop Up Art project. Included are (l-r) Judith Smith, Pop Up Art member, Brenda Robinson, The Denroy Group, Cllr Patrick Brown, Ailish and Manus Teague, Pop Up Art Manager, Zoe Ryan, and Heather Bennet, Pop Up Art members, with Stephen McClelland, Downpatrick Social Enterprize Hub Manager.[/caption]
The Minister was speaking after visiting a Pop-Up Art project in Downpatrick, which is based in the South Eastern Social Enterprise Hub area. The project works with a broad range of people, including ex-offenders and people dealing with mental illness or addiction issues.
“For many reasons people can feel marginalised and not able to participate fully in their community. Social enterprises work closely with local communities and aim to increase employment levels by encouraging local start-ups. In many cases they are started by local people for the benefit of local people,” said Minister Ford, and added: “The Pop-Up Art project is a very valuable project offering users the opportunity to learn skills refurbishing and upcycling used furniture. One-to-one support and counselling services are also available to users of the Hub to help them improve their lives.
“I appreciated the opportunity to meet some of those involved in the project and to hear about the benefits it provides.”
The South Eastern Social Enterprise Hub, which comprises Downpatrick and Lisburn premises, is one of eleven new Hubs established across the nine Social Investment Zones under the Northern Ireland Executive’s Delivering Social Change Framework.
With £4million of funding from the NI Executive’s ‘Delivering Social Change Fund’, the initiative will tackle poverty, dereliction and unemployment by encouraging social enterprise business start-ups within local communities.
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DOJ MInister David Ford congratulates Manus Teague on the Pop Up Art project at the Downpatrick Social Hub.[/caption]
Manus Teague, a qualified counsellor and organiser of the Pop Up Art project, explained: “We have had 50 people through the project so far and have 37 on our books as active participants. In any day we could have anything between five and twenty working on art work.
“We largely paint old furniture and give it a unique art makeover with either a pop, folk, gypsy or Mexican feel. Our aim is to address social isolation and we work with people who have mental health and addiction issues.
“Pop Up Art gets referrals from the Youth Justice system and the Probation Board and other agencies. For example, we work closely with the addictions unit at Ward 15 at the Downshire Estate.
“This project started in October 2014 and is growing from strength to strength,” said Manus. “People come along and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and enjoy it and proper. They tend to change to adopting a more relaxed and positive lifestyle.
“I’m really delighted that the MInister has come down to Downpatrick today to visit this Pop Up Art. He seemed quite impressed and has given his commitment to invite us up to Stormont to let the MLA’s there see what we are doing and explore how this can be rolled out more. At the moment we get referrals from Bangor, Ards, and across the Mournes and Lecale area.
“We certainly could do with short and long-term funding to help develop the project further. Our clients can be vulnerable and working through Pop Up Art they become healthier and happier. Art work is very therapeutic and to date our clients have produced some amazing work.”
PSNI Youth Liaison Officer Sarah Love said that she was very much behind the pip up art initiative and added that her department referred clients to Manus Teague to work in the project. “It really has helped quite a number to keep out of the justice system. The feedback from those using the project has just been amazing.
“They are just there for a few weeks maybe but it is very beneficial to them. This scheme is driven locally and that makes a great difference to the outcomes for these clients. The clients can meet other members and they even have a very trendy Shed for any one to one counselling or conversations. It is a great set up. It is the sort of project that could be rolled out across Northern Ireland. Involvement in this project is highly empowering and positively addresses the problem of anti-social behaviour in the Down area so it has to be greatly welcomed.”
Heather Bennet, who has worked with the Pop Up Art project said: “I have really enjoyed working on this project. It has been a huge benefit to me and has helped me establish some routine in my life and the art certainly helps me relax.
“It’s great to be able to chat away to people while you are engaged in painting up a piece of furniture. It is all very positive. I’ve been coming for five weeks and it certainly has made me feel a lot better. Art is great fun.”
Alliance Councillor Patrick Brown added: ‘The Justice Minister’s visit was a brilliant opportunity to show off the work of the pop-up art project, and the Downpatrick Social Enterprise hub. The Downpatrick Hub, one of 11 hubs across Northern Ireland, has been highly successful. In fact Newry, Mourne and Down has the second largest amount of social enterprise participants across the entire province.
“Social enterprise has the potential not just to create jobs and contribute to our local economy, but also to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges in the process. It’s great to see that executive departments such as DOJ are realising the incredible work done by the likes of Manus and his team, and I would welcome the Executive’s support in the future.”
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