Ashton Community Trust is the Lead in the Lower North Belfast Family Support Hub.
The Family Support Hub provides early intervention services to families and young people requiring support. The Hub brings together organisations that deliver services to children/young people (0-18 years) and their parents/carers and this includes community, statutory and voluntary family support services.
Since August 24th 2015, Ashton Community Trust has been co-ordinating and receiving referrals and working to connect families to the services they need at a time when they need them. The wards covered by the Hub are New Lodge, Duncairn, Fortwilliam, Castleview, Waterworks (part of), Chichester Park (part of) and Bellevue. Since the establishment of the Hub we have worked with our partner service providers to deliver support to almost 500 families and hope with continued funding until March 2019 to offer support to many more.
The Lower North Belfast Family Support Hub can help your family at many difficult times whether it is dealing with the challenging behaviour of children, stress/depression, alcohol/drug misuse, debt or social isolation.
Any adult family member can refer themselves to the Hub simply by completing a referral form or you may give your consent for another organisation with whom you are involved such as your child’s school, your doctor or health visitor or a local community group to make a referral on your behalf. The Co-ordinator of the Hub will then contact you in order to help match appropriate services to your family’s needs. At all times your details will be kept confidential until you agree that you would like to avail of a particular service whether it is youth support, advice and guidance or services that offer emotional and well-being support. Your information will only be shared with the organisations who you feel will be of help to your family.
There is now no need for families to struggle through life’s difficulties because the Lower North Belfast Family Support Hub is here to help through these times and work in partnership with families to improve outcomes for all the people who live in Lower North Belfast.
Should you have any queries about the Hub or should you wish to refer your family to the Hub please contact Edith McManus, the Lower North Belfast Family Support Hub Co-ordinator at the Ashton Centre 02890 749986.