A special Civic Forum conference entitled ‘Every Connection Matters’ will take place in the city next month.
It is geared towards the establishment of an effective Fora to tackle some of the city and districts most serious problems associated with alcohol, drugs, emotional well being, suicide prevention and homelessness.
The new Civic Forum will be led by the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council and aims to bring together organisations from across the community, voluntary, statutory and business sectors throughout the district.
It replaces a number of forums which have been in operation in recent years, including the Derry Civic Alcohol Forum, the Strabane Civic Drug and Alcohol Forum and the Derry Homeless Forum.
The conference, which takes place in the Guildhall on March 10th, is open to anyone with an interest in or experience in dealing with any of these issues.
Speaking ahead of the conference Mayor Councillor Elisha McCallion stressed the importance of taking a joined up approach to providing adequate support for people in crisis across the district.
“We all know that our local communities are struggling to provide the levels of support needed by those affected by issues such as drug and alcohol addiction, homelessness and suicide.
“This conference will be the starting point for us to identify the strategies and resources needed to effectively target these problems and Council is committed to building on the strong foundations established by the previous groupings.
“This forum provides the opportunity to develop improved strategies on a broader scale though our Community Planning process and to instigate change where it’s needed most.
“We have already secured the commitment from a number of statutory organisations who have signed a special charter as an important first step.
“We encourage other groups to consider contributing to the discussion which will begin on the 10 March. It is hoped that the conference will establish an effective communication network between local stakeholders.”
Signatories who pledged their commitment to the establishment of the New Civic Forum through the charter include the Public Health Agency, Derry Healthy Cities, Western Health and Social Care Trust, Council for the Homeless Northern Ireland, Police and Community Safety Partnership, Police Service of Northern Ireland, Education Authority NI and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
Speaking on behalf of the Public Health Agency, Brendan Bonner said: “Poor mental health remains a major challenge in Northern Ireland.
“The PHA has a lead role in implementing the mental health promotion and suicide prevention strategies, in collaboration with a range of partners from the statutory, community and voluntary sectors.
“It is hoped the ‘Every Connection Matters’ conference will bring together local experts from the fields of mental health promotion and suicide prevention, drugs and alcohol and the homeless sectors with the aim of identifying the key areas that need to be addressed.
“The ultimate aim is to help to develop a more connected network of support which will enable people to reach out and seek help.”
The Forum will be facilitated by Derry City and Strabane District Council and Derry Healthy Cities, and will commit to meeting at least three times a year to develop new strategies and actions targeting some of the most difficult social issues.
To register your interest in the conference please email [email protected] or telephone Environmental Health Admin at DC&SDC on 02871376553.
Please note that available places for the Civic Conference are limited so please make contact at the earliest opportunity.
Tags: