08/09/2026
I was pleased to take part in the second meeting of the Coleraine Shared Housing Advisory Group with Radius Housing, as part of the Laurel Hill Phase 3 project.
A big focus of our discussion was good relations and community cohesion and what we can do locally to bring people together, tackle problems and make Coleraine a better place to live.
We looked at projects the fund has already started supporting, including Breaking the Silence, Women and Migration and Misconceptions, The Coleraine FC Football in the Community pilot, Street Soccer, the St John’s Primary School summer scheme, and beginner & advanced ESOL classes.
It was great to engage with members of the community, learning more about the work already happening across Coleraine and building connections with those who are making a difference locally.
We were also asked to think about the issues that matter most in Coleraine and, more importantly, what we could do about them.
Some of the ideas and issues discussed included:
🏞️ Mountsandel — recognising its importance as part of Coleraine’s shared story and exploring how it could be used as an outdoor classroom.
🌍 Cultural exchange — creating opportunities around food, fashion and youth visits to help different communities engage with and learn from one another.
❤️ Community wellbeing — discussing drug & alcohol addiction and its impact on mental health, and hearing from Millburn Community Development Ltd about the work they are doing in their estate.
🎭 Arts & culture — I raised the lack of a permanent theatre space in the area and the difficulties this creates for our fantastic local groups. While this particular fund cannot deliver a new theatre, I suggested looking at a collaborative approach involving organisations such as Coleraine Future Town Fund, Council & other partners to bring funding and ideas together, including exploring opportunities to draw down funding from elsewhere.
🏘️ Community festivals — looking at the potential to bring back events that previously helped bring people together in Coleraine, including the community festival held in Christie Park.
We also discussed education and skills, social isolation, cultural diversity, community safety & opportunities for young people.
There was a lot of ground covered, and not every idea will be possible, but that is exactly why conversations like this matter. The aim is to listen to communities, identify the challenges we face and work together to find practical solutions.
Good relations and community cohesion don't happen by accident they take investment, partnership and people willing to get involved.
I'm looking forward to continuing these conversations and helping turn some of these ideas into action for Coleraine.
If anyone represents an organisation in the area and would like to attend these meetings please get in touch and I can pass on your details
