We are delighted to congratulate Rathlin Development and Community Association now that its dedication and efforts in lobbying for a policy specific to the island have finally paid off.  For many years islanders have spent a lot of time and energy working to ensure the provision of basic services, which most people on the mainland take for granted.  Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy announced the Executive's endorsement of a central government policy for Rathlin Island during a visit to the island on 10 June 2009 when he opened the Association's new Community Resource Centre.

Mr Murphy said: “Today marks a new way forward for the community here on Rathlin.  As the only off-shore inhabited island in the North of Ireland, we have developed in partnership with the islanders, a central government policy which recognises and sets out to address the unique challenges experienced by island life.  This new policy protects the island's heritage and way of life yet promotes its viability and sustainability now and for the future. 

This policy will now allow the Executive to proactively respond to the needs of the islanders on issues around public transport and roads infrastructure, health and social care, education and schooling, agriculture, community development, tourism and economic development."

Consultation on the Draft Policy ends on 19 September 2009 and a copy of the policy can be downloaded here.

(19 June 2009)

Our Supporting Communities in Community Planning Project is providing information and capacity building on Community Planning, the new RPA structures and on developing Local Community Plans which focus on community issues and provide models for the future.   

We have completed the first Local Community Plan in the region since the RPA changes were first announced.  The Plan is for the Scrabo Estate in Newtownards and provides a model for the introduction of Community Planning across the new Council area covering Ards and North Down.   

Bright sunshine on the morning of Friday, 20 March 2009 greeted almost 100 representatives from the community and voluntary sector, statutory agencies and local political parties to a Networking and Planning for Change Conference, at the Somme Heritage Centre on the outskirts of Newtownards.