RESTART- Latest News

Supporting New Communities in Clones

Clones Family Resource Centre recently hosted a series of engagement workshops with migrant communities who have made Clones and the surrounding area their home, including Brazilian, East Timorese and Ukrainian communities.

Participants shared their experiences of living, working and settling in Clones, as well as their hopes and priorities for the future. The workshops created a welcoming space for families to connect, share their experiences and get involved, with children enjoying drumming and other activities.

Participants were enthusiastic about getting involved in the many opportunities offered through RESTART, including Hen’s Shed, sports programmes and parent and toddler activities. These opportunities were seen as a positive way for families and individuals to build connections, develop skills, meet others and become more involved in community life.

A strong entrepreneurial spirit also emerged throughout the workshops, with participants expressing an interest in developing businesses in areas such as martial arts, sewing and street food. Flexible English language classes were identified as a key priority, particularly for people balancing employment and caring responsibilities.

Participants also highlighted challenges relating to housing, accessing social welfare and navigating the range of services and supports available locally.

The feedback gathered through these workshops will help Clones Family Resource Centre develop a New Communities Programme focused on practical information, English language support, skills development and entrepreneurship, while also exploring culture, identity and the sharing of different cultural traditions within the wider community.

Through RESTART, the programme will help new communities feel welcomed, connected and fully involved in community life across Clones and the surrounding area, while ensuring that their experiences, skills, cultures and aspirations are reflected in the development of local supports and opportunities.

New Signage Marks the Revitalisation of Community Spaces

Project signage has now been erected at the future locations of the three RESTART Community Hubs, marking an important milestone in the transformation of these key sites in Belturbet, Clones and Newtownbutler

Supported through the PEACEPLUS Programme, the RESTART project will redevelop prominent vacant property in Belturbet, Clones and Newtownbutler into vibrant community hubs that will provide modern, accessible facilities for local people.

Each hub has been designed to reflect the needs of its community and will offer a range of bespoke facilities, including community meeting space, health and wellbeing activities, youth provision, social enterprise opportunities and flexible spaces for community organisations.

The projects are currently progressing through the design, planning and procurement stages. Subject to the successful completion of these processes, it is anticipated that contractors will be appointed and commence work on site in late 2026/early 2027.

Once completed, the three Community Hubs will become focal points for community development, cross-community engagement, learning, enterprise and wellbeing, leaving a lasting legacy for the border region.

Working collaboratively with existing services and organisations

Patricia and Edgar from Clones Family Resource Centre recently visited the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council Community Connect Hub. Edgar has recently taken up the role of Social Inclusion Officer for the RESTART project, where he will lead on delivering integration and cohesion initiatives to support new communities as they build new lives in the border communities of Clones, Belturbet and Newtownbutler. His role also involves exploring the opportunities and challenges associated with integrating people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

During the visit, Patricia and Edgar experienced first-hand how the Community Connect Hub provides a welcoming drop-in environment where people can connect with their local community, access essential services and build new relationships. Edgar was particularly interested in meeting the range of statutory and community organisations that offer information, advice and signposting on issues such as housing, health, employment, benefits and wider community support.

The visit highlights RESTART’s commitment to working collaboratively with existing services and organisations to strengthen support for local communities. By learning from established initiatives such as the Community Connect Hub, the project is identifying opportunities to build partnerships, share good practice and enhance the delivery of services across the border region.

RESTART Project Board Meets

The RESTART Project Board held its inaugural meeting in Belturbet on 24 June. Comprised of representatives from the six Project Partners, SEUPB and the accountable departments, the Board is responsible for providing strategic oversight of project delivery, monitoring progress against agreed objectives and ensuring the effective governance and successful implementation of the project. The Board will meet quarterly for the duration of the project.

The Board is supported by two working groups – capital and programme that will assume a more operational role in overseeing the delivery of the seven work packages. The Capital Working Group provides technical oversight, monitors

progress, manages risk and makes recommendations to the Project Board to ensure the capital element is delivered on time, within budget and is compliant with funder and other regulatory requirements.

The Programme Working Group oversees and supports the planning, development and delivery of the suite of community programmes to be delivered across Newtownbutler, Clones and Belturbet. It ensures that programme delivery aligns with the approved funding application, meets agreed targets, outcomes and indicators, complies with PEACEPLUS requirements and delivers measurable peacebuilding impact.

In addition to conducting the business of the meeting, Board members were given a tour of the vacant building on Belturbet Main Street that will be transformed into a Community Hub. Once redeveloped, the facility will provide a welcoming and accessible space for the delivery of community services, together with meeting rooms and flexible event space to support a wide range of community activities.

External Evaluator Appointed

RF Associates has been appointed to undertake the external evaluation of RESTART and will provide an independent assessment of the project’s effectiveness, impact and overall performance against its objectives. The evaluation will measure the extent to which the project has achieved its intended outcomes, identify examples of good practice and lessons learned, assess the value and sustainability of interventions delivered, and demonstrate the project’s contribution to PEACEPLUS objectives. The findings will inform future programme development and support accountability to stakeholders and funders.

In addition to quarterly dashboard reports providing a high-level overview of activity delivery and performance against targets, an interim evaluation report will assess progress to date, identify emerging impacts, collaboration opportunities and areas for improvement, and highlight any opportunities to secure additional funding to maximise project outcomes during the remaining delivery period.

The final evaluation report will assess the overall success of RESTART in achieving its objectives and delivering lasting social, economic and community benefits. It will evaluate effectiveness, efficiency, compliance and value for money, identify achievements, additional benefits, challenges and lessons learned, review the implementation of recommendations arising from the interim evaluation, and provide recommendations to support the sustainability of outcomes and inform future initiatives.