Cross-border / Carlingford Link Programme
This is a Cross-border Programme involving the participation of adults and young people from local community groups in Down and Ards Districts, in co-operative activities with Carlingford Community Development and the Foy Centre in Co Louth.
The Programme will involve:
Short breaks at Glebe House, Strangford and in Carlingford, with visits, talks and discussions.
Day trips and Study tours.
The production of a publication, exhibition or website from shared experiences from the above.
It will provide opportunities to explore the shared history and culture linking the Carlingford and Strangford lough areas, as well as opportunities to meet new people and visit new places of interest in the areas.
There will be separate programmes for Adults and Young people but we anticipate some intergenerational activities.
Photographic Group on trip to Spegla June 2010
Cross-border Adult programme
Since January 2010 we have been organising a number of day and weekend programmes for adults in the Down area to give them the chance to meet up with their neighours on the other side of the border in Co Lough. Groups from the north have gone down for activity based programmes where they have to opportunity to develop contacts with people with similar interested.
The Photographic skills programme has been a leading success, with a good mix of participants from North & South, coming together at Glebe House and Carlingford on training days to develop their photographic skills and in so doing build common bonds. The group is made up of indivduals from the Ards Peninsula, South & East Down, Omeath and Carlingford. The group hope to put together an exhibition of their work in February.
Young people from Carlingford and Down on music themed weekend 16th - 17th October 2010
Cross-border Youth
The cross-border youth programme has steadly developed over the course of the last year 2010. We had made contact with Sean O'Roideain from the Carlingford Community Development Group & Foy Centre in Carlingford back in July of 2009. Sean and the CCDG are our main partners in this programme.
We have run a number of weekend programmes for the older children 14-16's, taking place at both Glebe House and Carlingford. The programmes have been designed to meet the needs of the young peoples interests and to provide a platform for them to share life experiences and common space.
We have offered a wide range of experiences to the young participants as well as a fun and enjoyable programme of activities.
From mid October 2010 to the end of March 2011, we have set aside a series of weekends that will consontrate on music, art and dance. These themes have come from the groups interested in particapating in the programme. A first music weekend took place on 16th - 17th October 10 at Glebe House, with young people from Newtownards and Carlingford, all of the young people had a strong interest in music and spent a lot of time playing together and sharing their music. They also got the chance to go out on the Saturday for some sightseeing and some physical activities.
This weekend was a great success and a lot of discussion took place as to future activities and group developments.
Another music weekend is planed for 4th - 5th December 10 in Carlingford, that will fit in with a music festival being organised at the Foy Centre.
There will be future weekends themed around Art, Dance, Enviornment and Cultural Heritage, there will also be other programmes running up to the end of March 2011.
