About Us
Forthspring Inter Community Group is a shared space community centre based at the Workman Avenue/Springfield Road interface, which is part of Belfast’s Peace Walls. Our values and ethos are focused on peace building, good relations and non-violence.
Forthspring has always been a safe place delivering high quality services to the local community in the Mid-Shankill, Woodvale, Springfield Road and Clonard areas of Belfast. We respond to the local communities needs, and offer something for the whole family, including after-school childcare, youth services, family support, women’s groups, pensioners club and volunteering opportunities.
Forthspring is an excellent resource for the whole community, so please feel free to call in and see us to see what we can offer you and your family.
Our History
Forthspring Inter Community Group is sited within the old Springfield Methodist Church building at 373 Springfield Road, beside the Springfield/Woodvale ‘peaceline’ in West Belfast. Established as an inter-community group in 1996, Forthspring has delivered services over this period to the broader neighbourhood on both sides of the interface and beyond, sometimes against a backdrop of violent civil and political conflict.
Forthspring is possibly the oldest of a handful of shared spaces situated at an interface in Belfast and dedicated to providing much-needed local services, building cross-community relationships and supporting local empowerment through a community development approach.
For further information on the history of Forthspring and/or the history of the area, please contact our director using this link.
Our Vision, Mission & Values
Vision
Our vision is of a diverse, vibrant and flourishing neighbourhood where people feel secure, confident and positive about their future.
Mission
Forthspring is an inclusive and innovative organisation based in a shared space at the Springfield/Woodvale interface in Belfast. We seek to enhance life opportunities and to enable sustained relationships through a varied range of development programmes and activities.
Values
The following values underpin our work
Proactivity
We actively seek out opportunities to make a positive impact in our work and on the lives of those we work with.
Honesty
We maintain the highest integrity in all our dealings with individuals, groups and organisations.
Creativity
We strive to inspire through innovation and creativity, together with excellence and quality in our practice.
Equality and diversity
We welcome all of our stakeholders and support them to feel secure, respected, heard and valued.
Partnership
We promote partnership, team working and community engagement to advance the wellbeing of the people we serve.
Peace-building
We work with others to foster a durable peace, to prevent the recurrence of violence by supporting local people in addressing the root causes and effects of conflict, and to promote good relations.
Environmental responsibility
We acknowledge our interdependence with the natural world and our roles and responsibilities as stewards of the environment.
Social justice
We actively promote a community development approach that supports the empowerment of people to make change happen.