Ashton Community Trust

Ashton Community Trust is an award winning social regeneration charity that works to deliver real benefits for local people. It was formally established in 1991 with a mission ‘To promote positive change and improve the quality of life of the North Belfast community.’ Located in the New Lodge area of North Belfast it works to address severe levels of social and economic deprivation. These health and life inequalities are further compounded by the legacy of the conflict. Within one square mile of the Ashton Centre for example 635 people were killed and over 2,500 injured. Over the last 25 years Ashton has supported thousands of people through its community accessible programmes. These services are delivered by Ashton’s departments which include: Bridge of Hope, FabLab, Kinderkids Daycare, New Lodge Arts, New Lodge Youth Centre, Social Enterprise Hub and Training & Employment Services. The organisation, underpinned by a strong community development commitment, aims to provide a one-stop-shop for local needs. This holistic approach includes services that work to support educational, employment and training requirements; childcare needs; physical and emotional health as well as cultural and arts expressions. Ashton’s policy of reinvesting in the North Belfast community means the majority of their 170-strong workforce are local people which in turn has brought stability to the area. The organisation has sought to regenerate not only by creating jobs but also by turning derelict pieces of land into thriving social spaces. Ashton Community Trust is seen internationally as a model of best practice for its regeneration achievements. It was appointed NI Social Enterprise of the Year in 2013 and recognised for its community ethos and social objectives. It is an Investors in People organisation and holds ISO9001:2008 certification. In 2015 Ashton was awarded the prestigious ‘Excellence 5 Star’ accolade by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) which is a globally recognised blueprint for organisations across and beyond Europe to develop a culture of excellence, access good practices, drive innovation and improve their results. In January 2016, after further assessment by EFQM it was appointed an Ireland Excellence recipient.