The Ashton Community Trust puts the heart back into a North Belfast community

Established in 1991, the Ashton Community Trust is an organic community led charity in the New Lodge area of North Belfast, which currently employs 104 people. Over 70% of employees are from the local area, and the organisation has grown from a start-up to an annual turnover of over £3m.

The elected Board of the Trust is made up of local and professional people, who are all committed to the physical and social regeneration of the area. Their work focuses on six core areas: education, training and development, social enterprise, promoting good relations, provision of quality childcare, improving physical development and promoting health and well being.

Since its foundation the Trust has renovated community buildings, attracted over £15m of inward investment and assisted regeneration. They are currently finishing a £1.5m development of shops and apartments to replace a contentious peaceline. The trust has created 104 jobs and two childcare centres. As well as enabling more than 2,000 people to gain training accreditations, it has won the BURA Award for Best Practice in Regeneration 2007 and the Gold Award for Steps to Exellence n the Northern Ireleand Quality Awards.

The Trust was set up by local people to tackle high levels of local deprivation (in 2001 the Noble index ranked the neighbourhood as 8th out of the 586 council wards in Northern Ireland in terms of multiple deprivations). The area was also regarded as the most badly affected in terms of child poverty. It not only suffered the deleterious effects of poverty and negative socio and economic policy, but endured firsthand the tribulations and inheritance of sectarian and political conflict. Since 1969 over 634 civilians have been killed within one square mile of where the centre is situated. Nine peace lines engulf the area, which is regarded as amongst the most confrontational in Northern Ireland.

There was a high instance of long-term unemployment in the area and over 55 per cent of the economically active were unemployed. 89 per cent of young people leave school with no formal educational qualifications lacking skills needed to seek employment in new industries such as IT. Inadequate and under-resourced childcare inhibits people’s ability to persue education, training and employment.

Ashton Community Trust obtained ownership of a range of community buildings. The first facility it established offered an incubation space for small business and community services. This original building had an electrifying impact on this area, putting a heart back into the community and kick-starting its revival.

High quality childcare provision is on offer allowing the parents of 150 children to go into work or training and providing employment for 42 adults. In December 2008 a third childcare centre will open. Over 2,000 people have gained training accreditations through the Centre ranging from essential skills to advanced IT. Three computer suites along with training and meeting rooms offer a range of programmes, employment outreach and support core services.

The Trust hosts a wide range of facilities from a doctor’s surgery to small business units, all of which provide activities to help combat poverty. The core of the organisation’s activities are funded by Trust-raised finances.

One major project the Trust is undertaking is based on reducing the ecological footprint produced by the community. At present Northern Ireland consumes three times more than it can naturally replenish, the highest rate of any region in the UK.

It is raising awareness of the importance of energy efficiency in at least 15 local community facilities, and producing a menu of positive changes enabling organisations to cut out waste, core costs and to recycle. In addition to a plan of action being drawn up, implemented and monitored, an Environmental Management System will be established to ensure a legacy is created and good practice disseminated. The Ashton Centre will be the first to undertake this process.

The Trust was founded and has grown within one of the worst hit areas in terms of civil conflict, and its legacies, along with effects of poverty and lack of investment. At no point has it closed, even after a gun attack in 2002. It not only continued to offer local services and activities, but developed through the most turbulent of times to have an income of over £3 million per annum and employ over 100 people creating a virtuous circle of economic activity.


The Ashton Community Trust was the winner of 2008 Enterprising Britain competition for Northern Ireland