Six inner city communities in Belfast are to benefit from £1m funding initiative designed to develop community collaboration and empower local people.
The newly established Belfast Community Research and Innovation Network (BCRIN) involves residents from the Market, Sandy Row, Donegall Pass, Shankill, Grosvenor and New Lodge in partnership with Queen’s University. It aims to bridge the gap between research, innovation, and underserved communities.
The network will draw on knowledge, insights and lived experiences of people within these communities, ensuring that research reflects the priorities of those most affected by economic inequality and urban challenges.
Fionntán Hargey, Director of the Market Development Association, told the Irish News that this will be the first time in more than 50 years that such an ‘ambitious’ project has taken place.
“We haven’t had an inner city project like this since the opposition to the Belfast Urban Motorway. It will link together some of the oldest working-class communities to look at commonalities in experience, challenges, and developing innovative solutions to meet those challenges,” he said.
“It is about building sustainable research in communities, research done by them rather than on them. We have had universities, consultancy firms and research groups come into a community for a project but once they gather their information it’s often left without any update or feedback delivered to the community involved. This is about a research project delivered more equitably.
“Each community will be based on co-designed sessions at local workshops. Initially, we expect those to focus on issues such as land use and housing but other communities may highlight certain issues such as addition or employment. The idea is for people within the community to steer the research to what is impacting these areas.
“We are approaching the recruitment stage for a community coordinator and a research fellow. That will then move to capacity building within these inner cities for the five-year project.
“The long-term benefit is people being more active in their community life and to shake up the civic agenda. It offers a better understanding on a community level that will help policy-making and policy outcomes.”
The work will fall under Queen’s Communities and Place (QCAP) which supports collaboration between communities, researchers, and policymakers to drive social impact and address local challenges effectively.
Professor Sir Ian Greer, President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University, highlighted the transformative potential of the initiative.
“Queen’s has been an anchor institution influencing the prosperity and economic growth of Belfast for 180 years,” he said.
“Through the partnership between Queen’s Communities and Place and the Market Development Association, we have co-designed creative solutions to persistent challenges and economic disadvantage to improve outcomes for individuals and families in the Market area of inner-south Belfast.”
BCRIN is one of nine community research networks funded in the second phase of the UKRI programme, with a total investment of £8.9 million to foster community-led research and innovation programmes across the UK.
