Adopt a Highway Project (West Belfast)
The Adopt a Highway Project was launched in Belfast in March 2005 with the aim of establishing and strengthening links between the Travelling and settled communities in West Belfast. Using the local environment as a medium, funding from the Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation provided opportunities for the integration of two communities, divided by culture and way of life.
One of the first obstacles to overcome when working with communities is helping people take responsibility for the area in which they live. A place they identify as ‘theirs’. The ‘Adopt a Highway’ project recognises the value of connecting people with their local environment by using a road, or ‘highway’, to link those who share a common space.
The Trunk Road selected for the project was the Glen Road in West Belfast, which borders the most disadvantaged estates in West Belfast. Estates such as Poleglass, Anderstown and Turf Lodge are still battle-scared from the height of the Troubles in Northern Ireland and as a result, the communities living within these areas have become marganilised and polarised from the wider population of Belfast.
Living within these communities of West Belfast are families of Irish Travellers, residing in sites allocated by Belfast City Council. The families have had connections with these sites dating back twenty years and generations of children have attended the local primary school, which is now attended solely by Traveller children. The majority of the 2000 strong community throughout Northern Ireland live in Belfast, predominately along, or in close proximity to the Glen Road.
The Travelling community is the most disadvantaged and socially excluded minority ethnic group in Northern Ireland. In a recent survey 57% of those questioned stated they would not accept Travellers as residents in their local area and 66% were not willing to accept a Traveller as a work colleague. A further 40% did not accept Travellers as a way of life and therefore felt they should not be supported by local Government. Although some efforts have been made by statutory agencies such as Belfast City Council to work with the Travelling community no real work has been undertaken by any Non Government Organisation with the aim of reducing the divide between Travellers and the Settled Community.
Project delivery
The Adopt a Highway project was delivered through various mediums, aimed at involving a wide range of people.
Site visits
The initial stages of the project were aimed at gaining the trust of the children, who would be involved throughout the project, and their parents. Informal site visits to Conservation Volunteers’ wildflower nursery in South Belfast allowed the children access to the countryside in a safe and controlled environment. At the nursery, the children had the freedom to explore the different species of wildflowers, shrubs and trees and to gain close up experience of nature first hand. The children have also taken part in environmental games and activities, designed to awaken their senses and open their eyes to their natural surroundings – something denied to them by both the protective stance of their guardians and the stark concrete dwelling site where they live. As part of the site visits, the children are also being introduced to a healthy diet with the provision of healthy snacks such as fruit, which does not form part of their regular diet at home.
Environmental improvements
Conservation Volunteers worked closely with outreach workers from An Munia Tober (Belfast Travellers Support Group) to identify areas for improvement with the Travellers’ sites along the Glen Road. A mother, whose children were involved in the project, proposed a particular site for development. Community Project Officers encouraged the lady to help with the design of the site and to select materials and plants which would be accepted by the Travelling Community as a whole. Throughout the project, an area overgrown with weeds and used as a dumping ground for machinery parts was transformed into a green oasis of healthy shrubs, trees and wildflowers. Volunteers worked to improve the area and as the project progressed, support from members within the Travelling community grew. Local residents of the site recognised the value of the work undertaken and proposed further possible sites for similar improvements.
Window boxes
Community Project and Volunteer Officers worked with the Play Development Officer from An Munia Tober to facilitate a series of sessions to produce decorated window boxes. Children from the After School Club spent several sessions designing the boxes which were decorated with mosaic tiles to form bright patterns. The boxes were planted with native Irish wildflowers, selected by the children from Conservation Volunteers’ Wildflower Nursery. The children had great fun decorating the boxes and they were delighted with the completed boxes, which were destined to be presented as gifts to elderly residents from the Settled community.
Project diary
Throughout the project, a photographic diary was used to record the development of the relationship between the Travellers, Settled Community and supporting organisations such as Conservation Volunteers and An Munia Tober. Initially, the photographs were to document the involvement of the children in the environmental games and creation of the window boxes. The taking of photographs became a focus for the children, who showed immense appreciation when trusted with Conservation Volunteers precious digital camera. The children rewarded us by taking some of the most outstanding portraits of themselves and their friends. These images were displayed in the Community Centre at the final event to the delight of the children and their parents.
Celebratory event
A significant part of the evaluation of the Adopt a Highway project was the hosting of a celebratory event, bringing together people from both communities to celebrate the achievements of those involved. The attendance of either side to such an event was challenging to Community Project Officers and not one previously attempted by Conservation Volunteers.
The event was held in the Tullymore Community Centre, located in the heart of the Anderstown Estate. Flyers were designed and posted throughout both the Settled and Travelling communities. Outreach workers from An Munia Tober made personal visits to many of the Travelling families to encourage attendance from both the children involved in the project and their families, and Community Project Officers from Conservation Volunteers worked with the Settled Community to encourage local residents to attend the event. All efforts were rewarded as over one hundred and twenty people filled the community hall. Both communities were well represented, with a good mix of ages from toddlers to pensioners. Derek Hanway, Director of An Munia Tober, was amazed by the high attendance from the Travelling Community stating it was the ‘’biggest social gathering of Travellers’’ he had seen in recent years.
The evening started with a 5-aside football match between youths representing the two communities. The match was played with good spirits, even though the final score was 6-0 to the Settled Team. Sinn Fein Councilor Michael Brown presented the winning team with a trophy and a re-match has been scheduled for late autumn.
The football was followed by a series of short presentations from Tullymore Community Association, Conservation Volunteers, An Munia Tober and local Councilor Michael Brown. The event was well attended by local elderly residents, who had entered a draw to determine who was to receive the lovely window boxes created by the children. Michael Ward-Gavin, a teenager from the Travelling Community, presented the boxes were to the winners of the draw and proved entertaining when he gave each winner an extra prize – a kiss on the cheek! The elderly ladies received both their prizes with good spirit and they enjoyed their part of the night.
Keeping the spirits high, young Traveller girls entertained the crowd by signing traditional Travelling songs. Everyone was encouraged to join in and the hall was soon buzzing with the sound of voices, young and old, signing. The signing was followed by a first class buffet, provided by a local caterer and an open music session.
Overall, the Adopt a Highway project in West Belfast has been developed to establish and strengthen links between the Travelling and settled communities in west Belfast using engagement in environmental activity as the focus. The project was well supported by An Munia Tober (formerly Belfast Travellers Support Group) with whom Conservation Volunteers have developed a partnership with over recent years.