A joint project between a Belfast church and the Department of Justice is aimed at skilling up young people through music and multi-media and preventing them becoming involved in anti-social behaviour.
Justice Minister David Ford recently visited the high-tech media bus which is operating in the Castlereagh area of the city. Developed by Dundonald Elim Church, the bus has been transformed into a state of the art studio with music equipment and the most up-to-date computers, mixers and software.
The Department of Justice provided £90,000 towards the project from money recovered from criminal assets.
Visiting the project today, David Ford said: “I have been very impressed by this project. It is unique, innovative and clearly appeals to young people. In addition to providing a welcome diversionary activity in local areas such as Tullycarnet and Ballybeen, the young people involved will also have the opportunity to try something new and develop new skills.
“The support my Department provided to this project came from the recovery of criminal assets. I think it is fitting that such money is reinvested into communities and to people working on the ground to make Northern Ireland safer.”
The Minister also highlighted the recently launched Community Safety Strategy, which reflects the importance of early interventions to divert young people away from crime and anti-social behaviour.
David Ford said: “This initiative is an excellent example of the type of work I want to see across Northern Ireland to deliver the new Community Safety Strategy that I recently launched. At the heart of the new Strategy is local communities, working in partnership, as Dundonald Elim Church, Castlereagh Council and the Castlereagh PCSP have done here, to help tackle anti-social behaviour, crime and the fear of crime by building safer, shared and confident communities.”
The Department of Justice recently launched its new Community Safety Strategy for Northern Ireland (2012 – 2017). The strategy, entitled ‘Building safer, shared and confident communities’ will guide community safety work, as well as the work of the Belfast Policing and Community Safety Partnership.