Belfast City Council

There is one month left for groups, clubs and individuals to apply to our small grants scheme. Funding is available for a broad range of activities including: 🎾 'Support for Sport' - development, hospitality and individual grants 🎨 arts and heritage projects 🤝 good relations activities 🌞 summer schemes 👨👩👧👦 community festivals 🏞️ park events ⚽ sports events Find out more and apply at https://lnkd.in/dMjxnRy The closing date for applications in 10 January 2025.

Twenty-two young entrepreneurs from Belfast have successfully completed a fast-track programme designed to springboard their future business success. The ’22 Under 22 Entrepreneurs to Watch in Belfast’ programme is a council initiative designed to unearth, recognise and fast-track 22 exceptional potential young entrepreneurs in the city. It supports young people and local businesses to thrive, both key commitments in the Belfast Agenda – our city’s community plan. Following a three-month programme, the participants pitched their business propositions for a chance to win a £2,000 cash injection for their business. Eoghan Brady from Kinetic Bards Studio, a local game developing company, was the winner of this year’s prize. #22Under22 #Entrepreneurship #Enterprise #BelfastAgenda

If you'd like to work for us, check out our latest vacancies: 🔵 Marketing and Communications Coordinator (Campaigns, Press and Social) 🔵 Marketing and Communications Assistant (Videography) 🔵 Cemetery Supervisor 🔵 Fleet Technician 🔵 Operations and Contract Support Assistant 🔵Crematorium Administrator Other vacancies which will close to applicants on Monday, 9 December include: 🔵 Digital Development Architect 🔵 Safer City Coordinator 🔵 Events Development Officer 🔵 Digital Analyst 🔵 PA/Secretary to Director 🔵 Operations Assistant 🔵 Accounts Receivable / Credit Control Administrator 🔵 Mobile Facilities Attendant 🔵 Playground Inspector 🔵 Good Relations Officer For more information on each role, visit our website: https://ow.ly/CJO250SP3oX #BelfastJobs #NIJobs #LocalGovJobs

We're currently consulting on our draft ‘Planning Application Validation Checklist’. This Checklist will assist applicants and planning agents with the information required to be submitted with planning applications – above the current minimum mandatory guidance, which remains unchanged. It will benefit stakeholders including consultees, communities and businesses in providing more clarity to the information needed with planning applications, at the start of the planning process. The public consultation follows legislation, published by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) on 1 October 2024, that now permits councils to publish a Validation Checklist for planning applications. The new legislation will come into operation on 1 April 2025 which will enable councils time to prepare and consult on their proposed Validation Checklists. The public consultation runs for 10 weeks until 10 February. For further details, visit the Planning section of our website ➡️ https://ow.ly/oABN50UkFWT Have your say ➡️ https://ow.ly/hZLN50UkFFM #Planning #BuildingBelfast

On International Day of People with Disability, we're calling for nominations for the Inclusive Tourism Awards 2025. If you know a business that provides exceptional service for disabled visitors, nominate them before the closing date on Sunday, 19 January 2025. Nominations can be completed on our website, where you will also find instructions in British Sign Language (BSL) and Irish Sign Language (ISL): ℹ️https://ow.ly/gO1a50Uib3R Or if you are a Belfast-based tourism business or organisation, register for our Embrace the Inclusive Spirit 2025 seminar. 🗓️ Tuesday 18 February 2025 🕧 9am to 2pm 📍 Titanic Belfast This seminar aims to help you get an insight into the valuable disabled tourism market. ℹ️https://ow.ly/67cS50Uib3Q

Today our Chief Executive John Walsh, Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Micky Murray and Christine Sheridan (MCIPD), Director of Human Resources, signed the White Ribbon Charter on behalf of Belfast City Council. The signing of the pledge never to condone or remain silent about violence against women forms part of the council’s wider commitment to support anyone who has been a victim of, or affected by domestic violence and abuse, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Belfast is accredited as a ‘Safe City’ for ongoing partnership work to support those who experienced domestic violence, while the council also holds platinum status in Onus’ workplace charter on domestic violence. #WhiteRibbon #SafeCity

Like other cities, Belfast faces challenges with homelessness and supporting the most vulnerable in our city. We’re working with agencies across the statutory, voluntary and community sectors on a joint approach to tackling these issues, through the Complex Lives initiative. It supports people to break the cycle of chronic homelessness and is already making a difference - by recognising a person’s individual needs, focusing on providing stability and offering them a dedicated point of contact throughout their journey. Today, to mark the start of Homelessness Awareness Week, we welcomed many of those involved in the initiative, and in providing frontline support, to City Hall to highlight their contribution and share their own experience and insights. Thanks to all the frontline staff and volunteers who came along and enjoyed a morning of discussions with our own staff, organisers Homeless Connect, our statutory partners Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Belfast PCSP, Probation Board for Northern Ireland, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Police Service of Northern Ireland, Public Health Agency (PHA) and Northern Ireland Prison Service, and support workers from Depaul Ireland, Extern, Simon Community Northern Ireland and The Welcome Organisation. #HAW24 #TimeForChange #PartnershipWorking #Belfast

Through our test trading initiative, we're supporting new businesses to try out their products and services and attract new customers. So far, 18 start-ups have used St George's Market to sell their wares, for free, gaining customer feedback, refining sales and marketing tactics and getting valuable peer support. Many have gone on to trade at the market on a casual basis or explore other outlets for their products or services - all with support from our Enterprise and Business Growth team. We're now working with Kennedy Centre in west Belfast to offer something similar - helping local entrepreneurs obtain valuable customer feedback in a busy shopping destination, build their sales experience and find out if running their own business is for them! Visit our website for more info on both opportunities - https://lnkd.in/eGFfYfKH #BelfastBusiness #BusinessGrowth #BusinessStartUp #Entrepreneurs

Hot on the heels of our own #GEWUK2024 workshop for entrepreneurs at St George's Market last week, we're looking forward to supporting this event tomorrow (Thursday 28 November). It will cover everything from sales and marketing strategies to neurodiversity in the workplace, and is open to both budding business brains and more established set-ups! #BelfastBusiness #BusinessStartUp #Entrepreneurship

Great to have urban planner and city regeneration expert Joe Berridge return to Belfast a decade on from the publication of the Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy (BCCRIS). Joe was instrumental in developing BCCRIS with us and the Department for Communities in 2015, and has worked with the council again over recent months to take stock of the remarkable progress achieved over the past decade and to identify the key areas of focus for the city centre for the next five to 10 years. Thanks to all the representatives from the public, private and third sectors, local communities and Elected Members of Council, MPs and MLAs who joined us yesterday to celebrate the city centre’s successes and to identify the opportunities for collaborative working to unlock its full potential. Our stocktake event provided a welcome opportunity to pause and reflect on how far we've come as a city - how much progress we've made together - and what we need to focus on in the next five to ten years. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e6a9Q3Df You can request a copy of ‘Looking Back to Look Forward: A Stocktake of Ten Years of Ambition and Progress’ by emailing [email protected] #Regeneration #CityCentre #Development #Stocktake #Placemaking #Placekeeping #ABolderVision