Macha is a slugger reader from Armagh
The Irish News reports…
Over 30 metres of peace wall were removed to make way for the £7 million Black Mountain Share Space which is located at the former Finlay’s factory site on Ballygomartin Road.
Funding for the building was sourced from the EU’s Peace IV Programme, along with the Republic’s Department of Rural and Community Development and Stormont’s Department for Communities. Funding was also provided by Belfast City Council.
It is managed by the Black Mountain Shared Space cross-community association.
Paul Millar, chair of Black Mountain Shared Space said: “BMSS was established in 2010 to break down barriers and improve community relations. This fantastic new building will make a huge difference to our work.
“It will provide us with the space to deliver much more joint programming and that will in turn help bring the two neighbouring communities together more regularly. It gives us a base to build towards a positive, shared future.”
Facilities include an education space, a multipurpose hall and function hall. You can find out more about the project here.
Positive stories like this offer a glimpse of a possible future. However we cannot afford to be blind to the volatile nature of this place, where deep divisions can be exposed in the heat of a flash disagreement. The hard work of cross community groups should never be underestimated.
Peace walls are still a feature of interface areas of Belfast in 2024. This is despite a strategy by the Executive to have had them removed by the end of 2023. The removal of any section is significant.
Other cross community projects completed this year include the Shankill Shared Women’s Centre at the interface area on Lanark Way in West Belfast.
This is a guest slot to give a platform for new writers either as a one off, or a prelude to becoming part of the regular Slugger team.
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