Limewood, Banbridge, Co Down
Limewood Community Group represents a small housing development of under 300 people in Banbridge .There is a very diverse population with residents from Brazil, China, Poland and Latvia. In response to increased anti-social behaviour in the area a community group was formed, who wanted to improve the reputation of the area. The group went door to door to raise awareness and asked for community support around developing activities to lift spirits. There was great feedback and a Halloween event for the children in 2018 was followed by a BBQ and fun day. Organised events and activities in the area brought everybody together and there was further community consultation through this mechanism. To ensure connectivity with everyone a website, an online forum and a WhatsApp group were set up as well as recent Zoom meetings. A Limewood Oil Club was formed to enable residents to buy cheaper heating oil and all activities are to ensure a more cohesive stable community infrastructure.
Citation
This is the story of how a large private housing estate transitioned from being an area with a bad reputation for anti-social behaviour to somewhere people are proud to be. One man’s vision and determination in carrying through a community support approach won the day and has given a model for others to follow.