Our series of OCN Level 1-3 Community Capacity Building courses continue to make a big impact for groups and individuals all over Northern Ireland. Since going completely online, these courses have become even more popular, allowing learners to access them in more flexible ways.

Some recent participants in Lisburn wrote to tell us how the training has helped them.

Joy Luke and Kirsty McKeown as Santa’s Helpers

Kirsty and Joy from Stoneyford Community and Youth Association

Joy Luke and Kirsty McKeown are members of the Stoneyford Community and Youth Association in Lisburn. They came to Supporting Communities to develop their skills and to help their group grow. Currently working through the Level 3 course, both women are excited to implement the things they’ve learned.

Kirsty writes, "We would highly recommend this course to anyone who is part of a community or voluntary group. It has taught us so much and helped us understand more about good practice and the roles everyone has as part of the association. Through the training, we realised that as a group we weren't reaching our full potential. Now, we both have the confidence and knowledge to make some changes to our group.

We really enjoyed taking part in the training, so much so that we have discussed the possibility of completing the Ulster University course. This would allow us to consider a career in community work.”

Rebecca Chambers, Lisburn Downtown Centre

Rebecca Chambers from Lisburn Downtown Centre

Rebecca is a coordinator at the Lisburn Downtown Centre providing mental health support to the community. She says these courses came along at the perfect time for her.

She writes, “Lisburn Downtown Centre has allowed me to pursue my passion for mental health, but I knew a limited amount about community development when I first began. The Supporting Communities courses have developed my understanding of the values, processes, and principles underpinning community development and the benefits and challenges of community development practice.

Completing the courses online has made it much more flexible and convenient – learning from the comfort of your own home without the worry of traveling, expense of fuel, or parking. Plus, you can do it all in your pyjama bottoms!”

More Information

Supporting Communities offers a range of accredited and non-accredited courses to suit community groups wishing to develop their skills. We can help you identify the course which is best suited to your needs.

The Community Capacity Building series of accredited courses is an excellent foundation for any group and can lead on to further study at Ulster University for those who wish to continue towards a degree in Community Development.

These courses book up months in advance! If you are considering doing any further education this year, get in touch with karla@supportingcommunities.org to discuss your needs.