Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor John Finucane, joined more than 100 stakeholders including representatives of political parties, statutory bodies, community groups and the charity sector at Girdwood Community Hub to discuss the results of research involving over 1,000 north Belfast residents.
The event on Thursday 27 June, 2019 was hosted by Healthy North Belfast, a multi-agency partnership that is carrying out an appreciative inquiry into how to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for those living in north Belfast.
Over the past few months, volunteers have carried out interviews with 1,014 local people who told them what they love about where they live and what matters most to their health and wellbeing.
Health outcomes in north Belfast are recognised as being one of the lowest in Northern Ireland. Baseline research, carried out as part of the appreciative inquiry, found that North Belfast has lower life expectancy and a higher preventable death rate.
It also found that there has been an increase in the suicide rate, infant mortality and cancer incidences in North Belfast.
Healthy North Belfast is supported by over 30 community, statutory and voluntary organisations including Ashton, Belfast City Council, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and Ulster University. North Belfast MLAs Carál Ní Chuilín, Paula Bradley and Nichola Mallon are also part of the partnership, along with local residents. Healthy North Belfast will publish an action plan in late 2019. Full story here https://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/News/News-107526.aspx and here https://healthynorthbelfast.com/press-release/