Issue 176 - Belfast BT6 • BT7 • BT8
Ambitious targets for Belfast!
These include 150,000 new trees, 6,000 new homes and 7,000 new business start-ups by 2028
Image L-R: Pictured at the Celebration Event at ICC Belfast are Julia Corkey, Chief Executive at ICC Belfast, Zara Flanagan, student at Our Lady’s Grammar School, Newry, Maka Chinanayi, student at Hazelwood Integrated College, Romy Maguire, student at Glenlola Collegiate
HEAR IT FOR THE GIRLS: EXECUTIVE MINISTERS JOIN PUPIL-LED FEMALE LEADERSHIP CELEBRATION Schoolgirls from across Northern Ireland successfully delivered a large-scale event at ICC Belfast recently as part of the SistersIN programme. It was attended by First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma LittlePengelly, underscoring the importance of the shaping the future of young women across the region. Attended by over 1,000 people,
Romy Maguire, a pupil at Glenlola Collegiate, was amongst almost 400 sixth-form schoolgirls from 28 schools across Northern Ireland who took part in this year’s SistersIN programme. Dedicated to enabling, empowering, and
developing young girls across Northern Ireland, the leadership programme is a collaborative ecosystem between the schools who deliver leadership training, the senior female leaders who mentor the pupils, and
the pupils who put their leadership into action through projects in their schools, local communities, and often, wider society.
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Plans to support the most vulnerable in Belfast while growing the economy, regenerating neighbourhoods and achieving climate targets have been published in a refreshed strategic plan for the city. The Belfast Agenda was first published in 2017, setting out a joint vision for the city up to 2035. With significant economic, social and environmental changes in recent years, it has been reviewed and updated to reflect current priorities. City partners have agreed to deliver a significant programme of actions by 2028 which will include building 6,000 new homes, planting 150,000 trees, reducing chronic homelessness, increasing the number of business start-ups by 20 percent and reducing the economic inactivity rate by five percent each year. Belfast Lord Mayor Councillor Ryan Murphy said: “ Developing the Belfast Agenda is a complex process as it involves numerous community planning partners, the
community and voluntary sector, educational institutions and representatives from the private sector. Today therefore marks a major milestone for the city as we move forward together with a comprehensive strategic plan which aims to ensure that Belfast will become the city that we want it to be.” Statutory and community partners involved in co-designing the Belfast Agenda include Belfast City Council, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Council for Catholic Maintained Schools, Education Authority, Invest NI, Libraries NI, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Police Service of Northern Ireland, Public Health Agency, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, Sport NI, Tourism NI, Belfast Area Partnership Boards and the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sectoral Advisory Panel. For more information visit www.belfastcity.gov.uk/belfastagenda