Willowfield Parish Community Association
Education & Skills
We want to deliver a holistic, healthy heart programme called 'Life Guards', which teaches kids the skills to save their own lives.
About this cause
WPCA started in 2002 in inner east Belfast to benefit local residents; teenagers, elderly, lone parents, primary aged children, unemployed, families struggling with the impact of deprivation and poverty. The Willowfield area is identified as top 10% of social deprivation in Northern Ireland. WPCA runs a variety of programmes; After-School/homework clubs, Family Support, Debt Centre, Job Club, Food Store, youth projects, support for unemployed young adults, outreach, lifestyle and self-esteem programmes. We connect with several hundred local people each week impacted by sectarianism, social deprivation, educational underachievement, low employment opportunities. Our Life Guards programme, which promotes physical and mental health, has now been completed by over 3000 kids from 27 schools.
How this cause brings people in the community together
We hope to equip & empower our local kids to form healthy habits that they can take with them into adulthood. We believe that promoting awareness of physical & mental health will help them find healthier ways of dealing with stress instead of things like junk food, drugs, alcohol etc. Children will be taught at least 20 exercises they can do at home plus how to set targets for their fitness.