kilcooley women's centre
Kilcooley Women's Centre, is currently based in Balloo, Bangor and has provided
services for women in North Down since 1995. KWC adopts the principles of
COMMUNITY WEALTH BUILDING to improve the economic outcomes for the borough of
Ards North Down through collaboration. The Women's Centre is a key player within
the wider Kilcooley area and works collaboratively with other agencies towards
improved outcomes for all residents of the estate, with a particular focus on
early intervention programmes and projects to address educational
underachievement and poor health and wellbeing outcomes. As the only women's
centre serving Ards/North Down and unique in Co Down, where possible we offer
outreach training to smaller towns and villages in the Borough. On 2nd June
2017, HM Queen Elizabeth announced in the London Gazette that she had awarded
the centre the 'Queens Award for Voluntary Service' in recognition of the
service to the community from 1995. The Centre has been acknowledged as a
valuable asset within the community and has developed a diverse range of
services to meet the identified needs of women, children and their families
living within the Kilcooley and wider Ards & North Down area. Local women are
involved in the staffing and management of the centre. Kilcooley Women's Centre
is a key provider of training, health awareness, childcare and young women's
activities and leads on community based education in the area. The Centre
currently operates out of various sites, each one offering a welcoming
environment, where local women can engage in a wide portfolio of activities,
including training and education, programmes for young women aged 16-24,
employability skills, health and wellbeing programs, peace and reconciliation
activities, arts programs and personal development programs to build skills,
confidence and self-esteem. To work towards self sustainability in a climate of
austerity and reduced grants and funding, KWC is working towards a social
economy business model as a trading arm. The centre operates a regional
programme across the Ards North Down and Peninsula area, working from Holywood,
the gateway to Co Down to the tip of Portaferry at the most distant part of the
peninsula. This work links urban and rural, crosses the different community and
social divides and has developed a positive proactive working partnership with
the Co Down Rural Network linking towns and villages. The partnership considers
collaboration and transfer of innovation, experience and sharing of resources,
skills and expertise is the way forward for women, children and families
residing or working in the Ards North Down region. Within the centre, we operate
a childcare project called Ladybirds Childcare Services, which is registered
with the South Eastern Trust Early Years Team for full-time day care. We offer
'Jellie Tots' baby room for the 0-2 year olds and 'Smarties' pre-nursery for 2-4
year olds preparing for their nursery year or transition to P1. Ladybirds
Childcare offers affordable childcare to assist women engaged in training or in
the transitional period into employment, respite as crisis intervention for
vulnerable families and a not-for-profit affordable childcare programe. The
centre links with 14 regional women's centres in Northern Ireland through a
close working relationship with Women's Support Network (WSN) the umbrella group
for Women's Centres NI, who represent our views on the Department for
Communities sponsored 'Women's Regional Consortium' which provides a one stop
shop information and policy service for women in disadvantaged communities
across NI. KWC also co-operates with other regional, national and European
partners. KWC are keen to form collaborative and partnership approaches to
service delivery to share services and support to deliver value for money and
maximise any funding the centre is awarded. We welcome and encourage any woman
to contact us or call into the centre and speak to one of our staff about how we
could assist you. Opening hours to the public are 9.00am - 4pm Monday to
Thursday and 2pm on Fridays, but the phones are manned from 8.15 a.m. We are
closed public holidays and for staff training on occasion.
