This story was first published on April 18^th, 2006.

Rathcoole Community Empowerment Partnership Visit to Ballymun

Rathcoole Community Empowerment Partnership (RCEP) made a visit to Ballymun on February 21^st 2006 The RCEP arranged this visit with the support of the Ballymun Partnership as part of the Seeing is Believing programme. This programme allows for opportunities to develop awareness of other successful community capacity projects and witness best practice.

On the 21^st March Ballymun Intercultural Group hosted a coffee morning to mark European Day against Racism. This year's theme as part of the National Action Plan Against Racism is participation.

Rathcoole is one of Northern Irelands Department of Social Developments Neighbourhood Renewal areas. The Rathcoole team wished to learn from the experiences of the Ballymun Partnership and other community and voluntary organisation based in Ballymun with the aim of duplicating, applying or modifying those experiences to suit the Rathcoole Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership.

Approximately 15 people from variety of backgrounds including, health housing, youth and community sectors made the trip and visited with Ballymun Partnership, Ballymun Mens centre CAFTA, GAP, and Axis centre.

We hope this visit went someway to assisting Rathcoole Community Empowerment Partnership in developing their proposal to empower local people initially through a programme of community education and youth development and also in forming there strategic action plan.