Community Activities
James Brown & Sons Community Fund were delighted to present a £10,000 Community Impact Grant to East Belfast Community Development Agency (EBCDA) at the East Belfast Network Centre, supporting their work to help people across the community who are living with loss.
The funding will enable EBCDA to develop and expand a programme of grief awareness and support activities, offering local people a safe and welcoming space where they can come together, share their experiences and feel less alone.
Based in East Belfast, EBCDA works closely with local groups and residents to support health and wellbeing across the community. Through their ongoing engagement, they identified a growing need for more accessible support around grief and bereavement. This project will help meet that need through a combination of workshops, peer support and access to specialist counselling.
The initiative will include regular grief support cafés, awareness workshops and opportunities for people to connect with others who may be going through a similar experience. It aims to provide understanding, encouragement and practical support in a compassionate and community-led way.
The cheque was presented at the East Belfast Network Centre, where members of the EBCDA team shared more about their plans and the positive impact the funding will have for individuals and families in the area.
A spokesperson for James Brown & Sons said: “Supporting initiatives like this is incredibly important to us. We see every day the impact that loss can have on individuals and families, so to be able to support a project that offers understanding, connection and a safe space for people in East Belfast really matters.”
Marie Anne Templeman, Health Development Director at EBCDA, added: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this support. Through our work with local people, we hear first-hand how important it is to have spaces where people can come together, share their experiences and feel understood. This funding will allow us to expand our work and support more people across East Belfast.”
We are proud to support EBCDA through this year’s Community Impact Grant and look forward to seeing the difference this project will make in the months ahead.