Bloomfield Crossroads Project
Summary of Background and Objectives

The Congregation and leaders of Bloomfield Methodist Church (BMC) have become increasingly concerned by the growing incidence of risk taking behaviours such as drugs and alcohol abuse in the community, particularly amongst young people. Recent input by the PSNI and evidence collected within the Church environs and public parks and amenities has further increased those concerns together with the apparent growth in influence of paramilitary groups in our East Belfast area.

A Management Committee, working alongside the existing BMC community outreach activity, was set up with the objective of creating a community care programme in the Beersbridge, Bloomfield and Orangefield areas with a focus on tackling the damaging effects of those anti-social problems, which can and have resulted in social isolation and exclusion. Community support and involvement are key considerations and local community representative groups in East Belfast have indicated their support for the BMC initiative.

Project partnering would be promoted with other like-minded groups and training would be provided through the Methodist Church in Ireland's Department of Youth and Children's Work and the Youth Link Forum.

The BMC Crossroads Project Management Committee has recruited a detached Youth and Community Worker to carry out a programme aimed at creating a more caring neighbourhood, changing mindsets, instilling self respect and esteem and supporting those under the dominating influence of drugs and alcohol and young people in particular who are exposed to paramilitary recruitment targeting.

One of the Committee's key aims is focused on young people who reside in neighbourhoods such as ours, positioned on the fringe of those areas which have directly experienced community conflict. A number of the young people caught up in such community conflict are not indigenous to the immediate conflict interface but come from so-called feeder areas such as Bloomfield etc.