Origins

Dove House was established in 1984 with the aim of encouraging self-sufficiency and promoting self-help. In receipt of ACE funding since 1985, it has been the major community group dealing with social issues in the area. For more than ten years, Dove House has provided a range of services to the local area, including painting and decorating, gardening, youth activities, community care, training and education and advice. Moreover, the Centre and its workers has been a catalyst for many innovative and creative projects such as the Nerve Centre, Gasyard Wall Feile, Bogside and Brandywell Initiative and the Gasyard Development Trust.

1996 Development Proposals

In 1996 Gnas Ur/The New Departure: a Development Plan for Dove House Community Trust was launched. The Plan retained the original aims of the Trust relating to the promotion and encouragement of self-sufficiency, empowerment and participation and also sought to position the Trust to implement sustainable social projects in consultation and partnership with the local community and statutory bodies.

Challenging Dependency

In general terms the Development Plan sought to challenge the experience of intergenerational dependency in the Bogside and Brandywell areas. It has enhanced and complemented existing projects within Dove House and in the area as a whole by developing, within an integrated framework, specific programmes of work designed to meet identified needs.

Phase 1 - Building Programme

The first stage of implementing the Development Plan involved a major building programme, which would provide training, crèche and disabled toilet facilities, increased office space, and an improved reception area. This work was funded by the District Partnership and was completed in February 1998.

Phase 2 - Embedding the Development Proposals

On completion of Phase 1, Dove House has incrementally implemented other aspects of its Development Plan. Specifically, these included the establishment of an Integrated Advice Service, a crèche, and activities for older people and youth projects under the direction of YouthFirst. Divert, a project aimed at providing positive alternatives to young people who may be at risk of becoming involved in drugs, substances, alcohol or other related teenage crime, has been established since July 1999. These projects are now firmly established.

Training and Education

When Dove House started in 1984 it was envisaged it would be a social education centre to provide local people with the resources and skills to deal with an unchanging socio/econmic environment. With the completion of the building programme two years ago, we are now able to provide more space and resources for local people to engage in training and education programmes such as English and Maths classes, Community Development Training, Personal Development, Personal Enterprise, Welfare Rights and ICT. Over five hundred people per week use the facilities and services in Dove House. We are now an ECDL Test Centre, which will enables Dove House to provide accredited ICT training for the first time in this area. This has been a positive development and one we hope to build on in the coming years.

Dove House is committed to providing people with the resources, skills and opportunities to participate fully in the life of their community and to realise their full potential. The range of training and education programmes that we provide allows as many people as possible to participate, this is in keeping with our ethos which is self-help and providing opportunities for people where they are, at any stage in their life.

In summary, Dove House will continue to meet the challenge of interfacing with those members of the community who are most marginalised in a way which builds and often restores self-confidence and esteem.