Women's Centres Regional Infrastructure Partnership (WCRP)

The community-based women's sector offers a variety of services for women, including a comprehensive range of education and training programmes and courses. These are supported by creche and childcare services ranging from playgroups to full day care. The Women's Community Educationa and Training arena has developed a deep body of expertise, skills and resources.

Partecipating in education and training within the women's sector offers the following additional benefits to women:

- locally based accessible venues

- an open and friendly environment

- provision of childcare facilities to facilitate women returning to education

- opportunity to meet other women from same area.

You can download the current prospectus below and view the 400 + courses available in 26 women's organisations across Northern ireland.

Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson, MLA MP Junior Minister OFMDFM with Siobhan Doherty, WCRP Chair, Dr Margaret Ward, WCRP Director, Dr Helen McLaughlin, Patricia Haren WCRP Director.

At the event, Minister Donaldson said "This project has enabled women from rural, urban, Protestant and Catholic backgrounds to discuss the various issues which affected their lives and their communities during the Troubles. It captures their emotions, hopes and fears, as well as their personal and moving stories. For the first time it give us an impression of the experiences of women in Northern Ireland during the last four decades and clearly illustrates that for many, it didn't really matter where you lived - worry, fear and anxiety - were the emotions experienced by all."

"The report also provides a sense of the issues that impact on women's lives today. There are still many issues that cause worry, fear and anxiety across our communities. This project recognised that each new era brings its own opportunities, concerns and challenges and sought to examine issues which concern women today, and in doing so to discover something of women's hope for the future," added Minister Donaldson.

On the 17th September, WCRP will launch the report entitled "Women and the Conflict. Talking about the troubles and Planning for the Future" at the Stormont Hotel, Belfast. The report is the final product of a year long project developed by WCRP, funded by CFNI under Peace II and coordinated by WRDA.

The purpose of the project was two-folded. Firstly, through the project WRDA wanted to give women an opportunity to reflect and share their experiences of the "Troubles" and secondly, to enable women involved in the project to highlight the issues that affected them during the "Troubles" and to compare and contrast these with current issues that have an impact on women's lives.

The report, compiled by Dr Helen McLaughlin, points to the importance of women's continuing involvement in initiatives at both community and strategic level which deal with the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland. This report also highlights that many women's groups are well placed to champion projects aimed at addressing a wide range of issues impacting on the well being of their communities and should not be ignored by any current and future Government policies.

For further information or a copy of the report please contact us on 028 90230212 or info@wcrp.org.uk .

This prospectus highlights over 400 plus classes that are available to women across Northern Ireland, form GCSE I.T. to Plumbing. In this year edition, 24 organisations are offering education and training classes to women in some of the most disadvantaged areas of Northern Ireland. At the launch, on the 30th September, in NICVA from 11.00 to 12.30, we will also hear from women who have personally benefiitted from the education and training facilities offered by the Women's Community Based Sector.

For further information or a copy of the prospectus please contact us on 028 90230212 or info@wcrp.org.uk

WRDA and its Community Facilitators have just completed the delivery of ten programmes under the "Women in Conflict" project. The WCRP project, funded by CFNI under the Peace II 2.4. measure, involved ten women's groups across Northern Ireland.

Four groups based in Belfast, four in rural areas and two groups in Derry gave the opportunity to more than 120 women to come together for a structured series of workshops and residentials which enabled them to reflect on how they and their communities were affected during "the Troubles". In particular, the participants explored the different roles women had during the conflict, valued the importance of these roles and considered issues that still affect women today.

The end of the project conference will be held on the 5th of June at the Glenavon Hotel, Cookstown. At the conference, Cynthia Cockburn, internationally renowned writer, will bring a global perspective of women's experiences in conflicts and there will be round table discussions to consider the draft report. A report of the project will include a list of demands for change that will be brought to the attention of policy makers.

Groups taking part included Windsor Women's Centre, Greenway Women's Centre, Larne Women's Group, Corpus Christi, Relative for Justice, Galbally Women's Group, Carrickfergus Women's Forum, Forhill Women's Group and Derry Shared Project.

Please click here to download an invitation. For further information please contact us on 028 90230212 or via email info@wcrp.org.uk.

The Women's Centres Regional Partnership (WCRP) brings together centres in the most disadvantaged parts of Northern Ireland. On April 16 WCRP will launch their strategic plan - taking the group forward into 2009.

This Partnership will be able to effectively articulate the vital importance of childcare and community-based education for women right across Northern Ireland. "It's all about 'joining the dots' so that we are working together as a united force to strengthen the voice of community based women's organisations" said Siobhan Doherty, WCRP Director.

The work of the Partnership is to benefit the Women's Centres and in turn to benefit women in the communities.

The Big Lottery Fund officials announced today that the Women’s Centres Regional Partnership was one of the 23 partnerships successfully selected for stage one of the £18 million Live and Learn programme. “This is a great achievement for the newly emerging women’s centres partnership, given the high competition among the 97 original submissions,” said, Margaret Ward WRDA director and partner in WCRP.

WCRP was also awarded a development grant to assist the partnership in preparing a five year business plan and detailed action plans for stage two of the selection process.

The Women’s Centres Regional Partnership’s bid targets more than 9,000 women in their local communities across Northern Ireland. The project includes many innovative and creative learning programmes to increase opportunities for women and their families and promote well-being among Northern Ireland’s most disadvantaged communities.

The WCRP welcomes this initial recognition of the Big Lottery Funds and with confidence, enters the second stage of the Live and Learn application process.

The report “Women’s Centre Community Based Education” compiled by the Women’s Support Network on behalf of the Women’s Centres Regional Partnership (WCRP), will be launched on Wednesday, the 20th February 2008. The event in the Long Gallery, Stormont is sponsored by Anna Lo, MLA.

Women’s community education provision is a key component of Northern Ireland active and vibrant community learning sector. The report “Women’s Centres Community Based Education” details this vital work and explores the unique features of the education provision provided by 13 women’s centres across Northern Ireland.

At the September network meeting at the Shankill, the WCRP launched its first regional Training and Education prospectus giving details of courses offered by 18 women’s organisations across Northern Ireland. The prospectus gives an excellent overview of the wide range of community based women’s training on offer across the region. It is hoped that next year’s edition will expand to give details on more agencies’ courses across the sector.