Thursday 19 June 2008

Diversity Award from Business in the Community

It's always nice for someone to get a pat on the back and its come to my attention that one of the programmes I have been working on over the last couple of years has won the Diversity award from Business in the Community. Winning over such organisations as IKEA so its not bad. WINS was a project run in conjunction with Gems NI on behalf of Belfast City Council to encourage more women into jobs that had previously been seen as traditionally male.

I co-ordinated the training element of the programme and it was great to have so much success with it particularly when women moved into employment, very satisfying.

http://www.bitc.org.uk/resources/case_studies/belfast_city_council.html

www.belfastcity.gov.uk/wins

It all just chips away at a very big block, sometimes you wonder if the block is getting any smaller or not but every now and then you get a boost.

Many people do not realise that for years there have been lots of women's centers and organisations that have been giving opportunities to women in disadvantaged areas opportunities that they would not have had access to otherwise. Peace funds and funds from elsewhere have built up there organisations and developed innovative ways of helping people with their lives. Now that there is peace it is decided that many of these organisations are no longer needed, thanks very much but goodbye.

This is an awful shame as their have been many innovative projects happening and much of this knowledge will be lost. Many of the organisations have recieved offers of 65% funding over three years but with other way of recieving the further 35% so it's frustrating . In order to demonstrate against this there is a rally at Stormont on Monday 23 June at 11.30.

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