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Belfast Healthy Cities

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Healthy Cities 21st Century

Lord Mayor joins the fun at Family Connections day in north Belfast

6 August 2021

Mums, dads, grannies, grandas, aunties and uncles - despite the rain, Lord Mayor Councillor Kate Nicholl took the chance to join families who were connecting at a Care Zone family fun day today (Friday August 6).

Held at Our Lady’s Primary School, north Belfast, and funded by Urban Villages, the Family Connections day brought together generations of families to take part in fun activities for all ages, and catch up, in a safe way, after the difficult restrictions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The latest Care Zone project in the local area aimed to improve community relations and health and wellbeing with a mix of fun activities including baking competitions and balloon modelling and information stalls on health and money advice.

Special guest, Belfast Lord Mayor, Councillor Kate Nicholl said: “I’ve really enjoyed today’s Family Connections event – it’s been a lot of fun for everyone. The highlight was definitely receiving a gift of poetry written by local children – they made me feel so welcome.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has brought many challenges – not least isolation, which can be really damaging to our mental health. Strong, positive family and community connections are fundamental to our sense of belonging and wellbeing – so I really commend Care Zone on the important work they’re doing to connect and support people living in the Oldpark area.”

Care Zone is a community project in Oldpark area of Belfast, which covers a population of over 18,000 people. Care Zone consists of a number of organisations and Community Champions, including Belfast Healthy Cities, Youth Education Health Advice and the Sacred Heart Parish, all of which work in partnership with the local community to host projects to consolidate relationships and find solutions to local issues.

Jo Murphy from the Care Zone said: “We were delighted that the Lord Mayor, Councillor Kate Nicholl, has been able to join us at our Family Connections day, to see the strong community spirit that we have in the Oldpark area and acknowledge the important work that goes on here, even when the rain is pouring down. It was wonderful to see so many members of the local community get together and have a good time after a challenging 18 months, even if the weather wasn’t what we hoped for. This was a great opportunity for them to reignite relationships and stay socially connected in a safe manner.

“It is so important to socialise and reduce loneliness, as isolation can have detrimental effects on people’s wellbeing. Today has helped to inject some positivity into the community and keep everyone informed and involved in the area. We’re now looking forward to many more successful community projects and events in the future.”

For more information on Care Zone’s work, visit: https://carezonecommunity.com/