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BY CONOR MCPARLAND @cmcparland91 [email protected] THE journey of Love Works Cooperative “started before it existed”. Based at the Macrory Centre in Duncairn Gardens, the cooperative has grown out of small grant-funded projects that created opportunities for voluntary community service. Their vision is to transform the local community through equipping and empowering local young men with skills and attitudes that will help them to grow meaningful and healthy relationships with themselves and the wider community. Project leader and founding member Richard Higginson explained more about the Love Works Cooperative: “The journey started before it existed. I was working as a freelance project worker on behalf of Fortwilliam and Macrory church. “I was interested in creating accessible work opportunities that brought people together through hands-on work. “We started with a community garden and bike repair project, run with help of volunteers. Now a workers’ cooperative, we have an open- door policy whereby anyone can volunteer with us for up to three months as a volunteer Love really works at co-op to help young men develop OPPORTUNITIES: Project leader and founding member of Love Works Cooperative, Richard Higginson Historic Poor House marking a century of Christmas tradition 12 | North Belfast News 23 December 2017 before becoming a member.” Love Works Cooperative specifically targets young men between the ages of 18 and 35, focusing on tackling pressing issues in the local North Belfast area. “Our project is aimed at people who have troubled pasts, such as homelessness, addictions or crime. “We want to try and address unemployment, mental health and alcohol and drug addiction by creating accessible work and a relationship support network. “The Duncairn area of North Belfast is an area of great need with high levels of unemployment, criminal activity, drug and alcohol abuse and sectarianism. In the area, there is a high rate of early school leavers resulting in low educational achievement, low employment rates and low self-esteem. “There is need for young men to have opportunities within their community where they feel valued as an equal from the moment they step in the door in a safe space for them to develop a sense of value, acceptance, ownership and responsibility for themselves, their team and their community. “We hope to inspire and help restore passion and pride in local artisan production and the sense of being part of a wider family. “The ethos of what Love Works is inspired by the fact love is a valuable currency in our relationships.” Love Works is based on three core strands: bread, bikes and garden, which have appealed to the young men in the local community surrounding the church as they are tangible, practical and give a good sense of work satisfaction. “Bread is hand-crafted from start to finish, using organic ingredients, based on a weekly demand from residents of North Belfast and sales in Ballyclare,” added Richard. “For bike repair, Love Works Cooperative operates both a repairs service as well as refurbishment of unwanted bikes, which are sold online. Training courses in bike repair and maintenance are provided. “The gardening service offers everything from a general tidy-up to a complete overhaul, giving you the perfect inspiration for your garden or yard.” If you want to get involved in Love Works Cooperative as a member, partner, donor or a customer visit Love Works Cooperative at the Macrory Centre, 130 Duncairn Gardens, or if you prefer you can go online at www.loveworks coop.com BY EVAN SHORT @evansms [email protected] THE history of the old Belfast Poor House on Clifton Street has been commemorated through a special Christmas event that celebrated an act of charity over 100 years old. George Benn was a renowned philanthropist who each Christmas would donate £1,000 to provide a dinner for the destitute families in the building which now houses a nursing home. And to remember George’s gift, the current management donated the same amount to provide residents with a turkey dinner and a small gift, delivered by Santa. The soundtrack to the event was provided by the Trinity College Choir. Una McAuley, Chair of the Clifton Care Home Committee, said it was a fitting way to mark the 135th anniversary of the historic building. “We’re only too happy to continue to observe this wonderful tradition every December,” she said. “The Benn dinner event is all about our residents. We gather everyone together to enjoy some Christmas cheer, entertainment, a small Christmas gift from Santa and a delicious Christmas dinner – that’s what Christmas is all about after all.” George Benn died in 1882 having made his name through his book, A History of the Town of Belfast. In his will he left the Belfast Charitable Society monies to provide a Christmas dinner for the residents of the House, stating: “this sum shall forever be applied to providing for the poor inmates of the said Poor House with a dinner or other entertainment at every Christmas.’ Una said it was a nice way to link to the past. “The Benn Dinner is very special to the residents of Clifton House Residential Home. Every year it is how we celebrate Christmas with our residents as well as being mindful of the many years that have gone before. The Benn dinner brings much happiness to our Home and it will undoubtedly be observed by Clifton House Residential Home for many years to come.” Jackie McNally (left) and John Uprichard receiving gifts from Santa Claus before enjoying their Christmas lunch

Love really works at co-op to help young men developLove really works at co-op to help young men develop OPPORTUNITIES: Project leader and founding member of Love Works Cooperative,

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Page 1: Love really works at co-op to help young men developLove really works at co-op to help young men develop OPPORTUNITIES: Project leader and founding member of Love Works Cooperative,

BY CONOR [email protected]@belfastmediagroup.com

THE journey of Love WorksCooperative “started before itexisted”. Based at the Macrory

Centre in Duncairn Gardens,the cooperative has grown outof small grant-funded projectsthat created opportunities forvoluntary community service.Their vision is to transform

the local community throughequipping and empoweringlocal young men with skillsand attitudes that will helpthem to grow meaningful andhealthy relationships withthemselves and the widercommunity.Project leader and founding

member Richard Higginsonexplained more about the LoveWorks Cooperative: “Thejourney started before itexisted. I was working as afreelance project worker onbehalf of Fortwilliam andMacrory church.“I was interested in creating

accessible work opportunitiesthat brought people togetherthrough hands-on work.“We started with a

community garden and bikerepair project, run with help ofvolunteers. Now a workers’cooperative, we have an open-door policy whereby anyonecan volunteer with us for up tothree months as a volunteer

Love really works at co-opto help young men develop

OPPORTUNITIES: Project leader and founding member of LoveWorks Cooperative, Richard Higginson

Historic Poor House marking acentury of Christmas tradition

12 | North Belfast News 23 December 2017

before becoming a member.”Love Works Cooperative

specifically targets young menbetween the ages of 18 and 35,focusing on tackling pressingissues in the local NorthBelfast area.“Our project is aimed at

people who have troubledpasts, such as homelessness,addictions or crime.“We want to try and address

unemployment, mental healthand alcohol and drug addictionby creating accessible workand a relationship supportnetwork.“The Duncairn area of

North Belfast is an area ofgreat need with high levels ofunemployment, criminal

activity, drug and alcoholabuse and sectarianism. In thearea, there is a high rate ofearly school leavers resultingin low educationalachievement, low employmentrates and low self-esteem.“There is need for young

men to have opportunitieswithin their community wherethey feel valued as an equalfrom the moment they step inthe door in a safe space forthem to develop a sense ofvalue, acceptance, ownershipand responsibility forthemselves, their team andtheir community.“We hope to inspire and help

restore passion and pride inlocal artisan production and

the sense of being part of awider family.“The ethos of what Love

Works is inspired by the factlove is a valuable currency inour relationships.”Love Works is based on

three core strands: bread,bikes and garden, which haveappealed to the young men inthe local communitysurrounding the church asthey are tangible, practical andgive a good sense of worksatisfaction.“Bread is hand-crafted from

start to finish, using organicingredients, based on a weeklydemand from residents ofNorth Belfast and sales inBallyclare,” added Richard.“For bike repair, Love Works

Cooperative operates both arepairs service as well asrefurbishment of unwantedbikes, which are sold online.Training courses in bike repairand maintenance are provided.“The gardening service

offers everything from ageneral tidy-up to a completeoverhaul, giving you theperfect inspiration for yourgarden or yard.”If you want to get involved in

Love Works Cooperative as amember, partner, donor or acustomer visit Love WorksCooperative at the MacroryCentre, 130 Duncairn Gardens,or if you prefer you can goonline at www.loveworkscoop.com

BY EVAN SHORT @[email protected]

THE history of the old BelfastPoor House on Clifton Street hasbeen commemorated through aspecial Christmas event thatcelebrated an act of charity over100 years old.George Benn was a renowned

philanthropist who eachChristmas would donate £1,000to provide a dinner for thedestitute families in thebuilding which now houses anursing home. And to rememberGeorge’s gift, the currentmanagement donated the sameamount to provide residentswith a turkey dinner and a smallgift, delivered by Santa. Thesoundtrack to the event wasprovided by the Trinity CollegeChoir.Una McAuley, Chair of the

Clifton Care Home Committee,said it was a fitting way to markthe 135th anniversary of thehistoric building.“We’re only too happy to

continue to observe thiswonderful tradition everyDecember,” she said. “The Benndinner event is all about ourresidents. We gather everyonetogether to enjoy someChristmas cheer, entertainment,a small Christmas gift fromSanta and a delicious Christmas

dinner – that’s what Christmasis all about after all.”George Benn died in 1882

having made his name throughhis book, A History of the Townof Belfast. In his will he left theBelfast Charitable Societymonies to provide a Christmasdinner for the residents of theHouse, stating: “this sum shall

forever be applied to providingfor the poor inmates of the saidPoor House with a dinner orother entertainment at everyChristmas.’Una said it was a nice way to

link to the past.“The Benn Dinner is very

special to the residents of CliftonHouse Residential Home. Every

year it is how we celebrateChristmas with our residents aswell as being mindful of themany years that have gonebefore. The Benn dinner bringsmuch happiness to our Homeand it will undoubtedly beobserved by Clifton HouseResidential Home for manyyears to come.”

Jackie McNally (left) and John Uprichard receiving gifts from Santa Claus before enjoying theirChristmas lunch