Belfast City Council

Hot on the heels of our own #GEWUK2024 workshop for entrepreneurs at St George's Market last week, we're looking forward to supporting this event tomorrow (Thursday 28 November). It will cover everything from sales and marketing strategies to neurodiversity in the workplace, and is open to both budding business brains and more established set-ups! #BelfastBusiness #BusinessStartUp #Entrepreneurship

Great to have urban planner and city regeneration expert Joe Berridge return to Belfast a decade on from the publication of the Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy (BCCRIS). Joe was instrumental in developing BCCRIS with us and the Department for Communities in 2015, and has worked with the council again over recent months to take stock of the remarkable progress achieved over the past decade and to identify the key areas of focus for the city centre for the next five to 10 years. Thanks to all the representatives from the public, private and third sectors, local communities and Elected Members of Council, MPs and MLAs who joined us yesterday to celebrate the city centre’s successes and to identify the opportunities for collaborative working to unlock its full potential. Our stocktake event provided a welcome opportunity to pause and reflect on how far we've come as a city - how much progress we've made together - and what we need to focus on in the next five to ten years. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e6a9Q3Df You can request a copy of ‘Looking Back to Look Forward: A Stocktake of Ten Years of Ambition and Progress’ by emailing belfasti@belfastcity.gov.uk #Regeneration #CityCentre #Development #Stocktake #Placemaking #Placekeeping #ABolderVision

Our Vacant to Vibrant team will be out and about this week, sharing info on how our scheme can help breathe new life into disused buildings! They'll be highlighting grants available to charities, business start-ups, cultural organisations, property owners and others to undertake works needed to transform old into new - in #BelfastCityCentre, main routes into the city and in local neighbourhoods. Hairdressers Michele International are one of our most recent recipients and are now enjoying life in their new home on Upper Queen Street, in the historic Printworks building. If you'd like to do something similar, come along on: 📆 Tuesday 26 November - Spectrum Centre (9.30am) and Tullymore Community Centre (2pm) 📆 Wednesday 27 November - North City Business Centre (9.30am) and Ashton Centre (2pm) 📆 Thursday 28 November - LORAG (9.30am) and EastSide Partnership (5.30pm) 📆 Wednesday 4 December - Cregagh Sports Club (9.30am) and Greater Village Regeneration Trust offices (2pm) Email vacanttovibrant@belfastcity.gov.uk to register. #VacancyRates #BelfastRegeneration #InvestInBelfast #Regeneration #Revitalisation

Come work for us! Our latest vacancies include: 🔵 Digital Development Architect 🔵 Safer City Coordinator 🔵 Events Development Officer 🔵 Digital Analyst 🔵 PA/Secretary to Director 🔵 Operations Assistant 🔵 Accounts Receivable / Credit Control Administrator 🔵 Mobile Facilities Attendant 🔵 Playground Inspector 🔵 Good Relations Officer For more information on each role, visit our website: https://ow.ly/CJO250SP3oX #BelfastJobs #NIJobs #LocalGovJobs

It's been a packed year so far for our Belfast 2024 creative celebration and, this weekend, we will take a look back at its legacy and impact at the Our Stories Festival. Running from today until Sunday 24 November, the festival is packed with discussions, workshops and activities, all centred around the programme's key themes of people, place and planet. Join us, organisers Nerve Centre and NI Science Festival and leading cultural voices, including environmentalist Chris Packham, illustrator Oliver Jeffers and Eden Project founder Sir Tim Smit, to hear how investment in culture can support our creative sector, introduce new opportunities and bring positive change! Visit belfast2024.co.uk to view the full event programme and to book tickets. #Belfast2024 #BelfastCulture #BelfastArts #Participation #CreativeSector

A public consultation on concept designs for the £100 million Belfast Stories project is now open. Along with a first look at designs, the public will have the chance to learn more about Belfast Stories, a project which will be a public space, visitor attraction and creative hub. Belfast Stories is expected to open by 2030 at the Art Deco former Bank of Ireland building and the surrounding 5,000 square metre site at the top of Royal Avenue. It is a flagship project of the £1 billion Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) programme of investment. Architectural illustrations show what Belfast Stories might look like from North Street (aerial view), approaching from Royal Avenue, and from a central courtyard. Also pictured on a recent tour of the site are (from left to right): Lisanne Pol, Programme Director for Belfast Stories Wendy Langham, Belfast Lord Mayor Councillor Micky Murray, Chief Executive of Belfast City Council John Walsh and violin restorer Aidan Mullholland. To get involved and give your feedback as part of the public consultation, visit https://lnkd.in/eQED8c67 #BRCityDeal #BelfastStories #BelfastCityCentre #CityRegeneration #InvestInBelfast

Some good news to round off the week! We've received funding from the Department for Communities and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to extend our successful Vacant to Vibrant scheme citywide. The programme provides capital grants to property owners, independent retailers, social enterprises, charities and other organisations to bring unused buildings back into use which, in turns, brings diversity and vibrancy to our high streets. So far, 32 applications have been given the green light, including some of those featured in our short clip here. Together, they've introduced new businesses to our high streets and helped restore historic buildings, including the former Tedfords warehouse on Donegall Quay and the Printworks on Queen Street. This latest funding boost means we can now accept applications across our wider council boundary, including main routes into the city. Our team will be running info sessions 26-28 November - if you're interested, come along and find out more on how to apply. Visit our website for a list of dates, times and locations - https://lnkd.in/dyqau-Hc #Belfast #Regeneration #Revitalisation #VacantToVibrant #VacancyRates #Vacancy

We recently welcomed representatives from Dublin City Council to Belfast to experience some of our latest regeneration and investment projects. The visit by councillors and staff was part of our ongoing work with other cities to share learning and exchange best practice. The group enjoyed a tour of #BelfastCityCentre after arriving at the new Belfast Grand Central Station, followed by a look at our Belfast Stories site and the award-winning St Comgall’s community hub on Falls Road. As a partner in the Dublin-Belfast Economic Corridor initiative, we look forward to further engagement and collaboration with our colleagues in Dublin, as well as other local authorities, in the future! #InvestInBelfast #CityRegeneration #LocalGov #Collaboration

Pleased to have been named this week as a Cycle-Friendly Employer for all our work to promote the benefits of cycling to our staff! The accreditation from Cycling UK recognises ongoing work to encourage our employees to consider active travel, when getting to and from work, to improve wellbeing and combat climate change. Our initiatives include a cycle to work scheme, secure storage facilities in our city centre offices and shower and changing facilities. Some of our staff have also been taking part in the ReAct Festival this week with Linen Quarter BID and Sustrans, sharing info about our Belfast Business Promise accreditation programme and its work to support employers and businesses to provide staff with practical alternatives to car travel. #SustainableTravel #ActiveTravel #BikeToWork

Ba mhaith linn comhghairdeas a dhéanamh le Cill Áirne as a fheabhas a d’éirigh leo agus Oireachtas na Samhna á óstáil acu níos luaithe an mhí seo. Agus muid mar chathair óstach don cheiliúradh seo ar an Ghaeilge, ar na healaíona agus ar an oidhreacht ar an bhliain seo chugainn, ba mhór an onóir don toscaireacht s’againne as Béal Feirste a bheith i láthair! B’ionann an chuairt seo dúinne agus deis le roinnt léargas luachmhar a thabhairt linn agus muid ag ullmhú faoi choinne Oireachtas na Samhna 2025, a reáchtálfar i mBéal Feirste idir an 29 Deireadh Fómhair agus an 2 Samhain 2025. Measaimid go meallfaidh an t-imeacht seo suas le 10,000 rannpháirtí agus cuairteoir as achan chearn d’Éirinn agus as áiteanna níos faide i gcéin, rud a dtiocfaidh tionchar eacnamaíoch leis, tríd an loistín oíche agus an t-airgead a chaithfear le linn na n-imeachtaí lae. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We would like to congratulate Killarney for their success on hosting a successful Oireachtas na Samhna earlier this month. As host city for this celebration of Irish language, arts and traditions next year, it was a privilege for our Belfast delegation to attend! The visit offered us an opportunity to take away some key learnings, as we prepare for Oireachtas na Samhna 2025, which will take place in Belfast between 29 October and 2 November 2025. We anticipate that event will attract as many as 10,000 participants and spectators from across Ireland and beyond, generating economic impact through bed nights and day spend.