ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

'AT THE HEART OF REGENERATION'

West Belfast Partnership Board 218 – 226 Falls Road, Belfast, BT12 6AH Telephone: 02890809202 Email: info@wbpb.org

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ..

Since its inception, West Belfast Partnership Board has put economic development at the centre of its regeneration programme, setting ambitious goals and working hard to achieve them. The Economic Development Unit (EDU) of the West Belfast Partnership Board was established in January 2000, to further the economic regeneration of West Belfast in a strategic and focussed way. Comprising a small but efficient staff team, its core aim is to address long-term unemployment and promote community and business economic development. A core activity of the EDU has been to support the work of the West Belfast Jobs Taskforce.

An evaluation of the Economic Development Unit, undertaken in May 2004 by ASM Horwarth, identified the following added value provided by the EDU:

“The EDU played a significant role in the generation of recommendations for the West Belfast Taskforce and in continuing to implement the Taskforce’s recommendations and structures. The WBPB is seen as a key “sounding board” for community opinion by those Departments/Agencies charged with the implementation of the Taskforce recommendations”.

The EDU takes its direction from the Economic Development Sub-Committee of the Partnership - an effective advocacy and development group drawn from businesses, enterprise agencies, public agencies, elected representatives and community organisations committed to working to achieve a range of priorities:

·                Addressing Long-term unemployment;
·                Encouraging indigenous business development & economic development;
·                Promoting Tourism;
·                Encouraging Inward investment;
·                Gathering information to guide policy developments

Since May 2001, West Belfast Partnership have worked as key members of the West Belfast Jobs Task Force, contributing to the production of the report and working for the implementation of its recommendations. WBPB were a key partner in establishing the West Belfast/Greater Shankill Employment Services Board; contributed to plans for a £21.7 million Integrated Development Fund package for West Belfast and Shankill; and contributed to the recent Review of West Belfast/ Greater Shankill Task Force (published January 2007).

West Belfast Partnership Economic Development Committee-

Claire Ferris – Chair	Work West
Seamas O Prey	Ortus
Deirdre Timoney	BITC
Paddy Mackel	Belfast & District Trades Council
Tom Mervyn	Employment Services Board
Alec McRitchie	Bombardier
Terry Cross	Delta Print
Ciaran Kearney	Sinn Fein
Cllr M Brown	Sinn Fein
Cllr Tim Attwood	SDLP
Paul Maskey MLA	Sinn Fein
Mary Lyons	Springvale Learning

Contact Details

Patrick McDonald

Economic Development Officer

Email - patrick@wbpb.org

West Belfast Partnership Board 218 – 226 Falls Road, Belfast, BT12 6AH

Telephone: 02890809202 Email: info@wbpb.org