Action Group News - April Edition
- benmcgurk
- Apr 1
- 7 min read
Welcome to the latest edition of ROCNI's Action Group News!
April is a special month with Easter celebrations, two community safety programmes completing as well as marking my ten year anniversary working for ROC. In April 2015, I started as the part-time Northern Ireland Regional Development Manager hotdesking at City Church Belfast. ROC's focus then was reducing youth crime with a particular emphasis on anti-social behaviour and providing a safe space for young people to hang out in the ROC Café. Over the years as needs in our communities changed, ROC's work has evolved with partnership working remaining central to all we do. Since 2015, we have hosted 17 ROC Conversation community engagement events, set up multi-agency Action Groups along with long-term community initiatives including the ROC Care befriending Scheme in Rathcoole, ROC Mentors and Tele-Mentors schemes supporting families in Larne and North Belfast, School Uniform Projects, Winter Coat Projects along with Project Can Do programmes focused on community connections, community safety and health and wellbeing. The staff team has also grown enabling us to pioneer new community initiatives and respond to the increasing societal needs. Read on to find out about the different ways we're marking my ten-year anniversary at ROC as well as our latest news and opportunities to get involved.
Thank you for your continued support as we seek to 'empower people of goodwill to work together for safer, stronger communities'.
With thanks
Keeva
Northern Ireland Development Manager
Are you interested in partnering with ROCNI on a project in 2025?!
Partnership working underlines ROC's ethos and mission. We are thankful for the many different groups who work with us whether churches, police, corporate businesses, schools or other community and voluntary groups - each bring something valuable to all our community initiatives and programmes.
There are several opportunities to partner with us this year - would you consider hosting a ROC Compassion Project? Or partnering with us to facilitate a Project Can Do programme? Maybe your church could support local families through our ROC Mentors programme? Or would you be willing to host a fundraising activity on our behalf?
As a charity, ROC equips and empowers people like you to make a difference in their local community. Get in touch with Keeva today to explore ways we can work together in 2025.
Since 2019, ROCNI's School Uniform Projects have supported over 3,000 children across Greater Belfast with new and pre-loved uniform items. Last summer, the School Uniform Project took place in seven locations and we're now planning our 2025 projects.
There are various ways to partner with us on this community initiative:
- host a school uniform project in your church or community centre
- become a donation point for a local initiative
- volunteer at a local project
- donate uniform and/or stationary items
- promote the projects on your socials
With the cost of living continuing to impact family finances initiatives like the ROC School Uniform Project will be needed in communities across Northern Ireland. Get in touch for further details on how you can get involved this summer.
This April marks a full decade of Keeva's work at ROC. As our Northern Ireland Development Manager, Keeva has worked tirelessly to grow and expand our work right across Northern Ireland. During the last ten years, ROC has met the varying needs of our communities in so many ways, from holding ROC Conversations and forming Action Groups, to completing projects such as ROC Care and ROC Cafes, to now running much-needed services like our Compassion Projects and Project CAN DO Programmes.
To celebrate this remarkable milestone at ROCNI, we are launching our April Fundraising Campaign - Small Gift, Big Change - where we are asking all supporters who are able, to sign up to a monthly donation of £10 to celebrate 10 years of Keeva at ROC! We are also encouraging as many one-off donations during this month as possible.
So no matter how you came across ROC, please consider helping us celebrate all we have achieved in the last decade, to help us achieve even more in the next one! Your small gift helps us create big change.
Amy's Fundraising Update
Welcome back to another Action Group News update from your Fundraising Officer. As you have just seen, April is a big month for us, with our first Fundraising Campaign since I have joined the team!
March has been another busy month here at ROC as we run multiple simultaneous Project CAN DO! Community Safety Programmes whilst getting the planning process started for our School Uniform Projects.
I am also in planning our 'Cuppa Tea for ROC' Fundraising events, so I'm sure many of you will be getting emails from me about that, and if you would be interested in hosting a coffee/tea morning for ROC, please get in touch! These will be informal fundraising events, gathering together groups or supporters in your church or organisation to have a chat over a cup of tea/coffee and raise some money to help ROC run our Compassion Projects this summer.
Fundraising packs will be provided to help with collecting donations, and a member of staff will attend your fundraising event to share some information about ROC's projects and thank you for your support. I am really looking forward to meeting lots of you through these fundraisers.
In the meantime, keep your eyes on our social media channels throughout the next few weeks to see the Small Gift, Big Change campaign unfold, and please check out the 'Donate' section below to help all of us at ROC work towards safer, stronger and kinder communities.
Project CAN DO! Health & Wellbeing Programme
Since 2023, ROC have facilitated five health and wellbeing themed Project Can Do programmes in Ballyclare, Larne, Newtownabbey and Shankill supporting over fifty people of all ages and backgrounds. Project Can Do! health and wellbeing community project is a comprehensive six-week programme, including five workshop sessions and one concluding event. The programme covers a range of topics aimed at enhancing community connection and personal wellbeing.
Based on the Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing, each week focuses on a different theme: Connect, Be Active, Keep Learning, Give to Others, and Take Notice. Participants are able to engage in a wide variety of interactive activities designed to promote mental and physical well-being, encourage continuous learning, foster a sense of community, and enhance mindfulness and present-moment awareness.
Would you be interested in running a Project Can Do Health and Wellbeing Programme in your school, church or community organisation? Get in touch with Keeva at northernireland@roc.uk.com for further details.
Project CAN DO! Community Safety Programme
We are piloting a new Community Safety themed Project Can Do programme for parents of primary school aged children in North Belfast. Thanks to funding from the Northern Ireland Police Property Fund, we're able to facilitate the five-week programme in nine primary schools. The programme in partnership with the Neighbourhood Police Team explores various community safety topics including keeping your property safe, keeping safe online as well as keeping safe in your community. The programme is informal yet informative and helps provide up to date information and resources to parents.
So far we have completed two programmes in Currie and Seaview Primary Schools with parents commenting that:
'Everything explained so simple so I could understand everything even with my language barrier. Thank You.'
'It was very educative and engaging. I now understand much better how to confidently protect my home.'
This year, we're bringing Community Safety Project Can Do! to Ballysillan and Ligoneil Primary Schools, with availability to deliver the programme in four more schools in North Belfast and Shankill areas. If you're interested in finding out more, click on the link below or contact the ROCNI Office.
Join us for the 2025 ROC National Conference: Go Together, a transformational event designed to equip churches and Christian-led organisations to hear God's heart and serve their communities effectively.
📅 Date: Thursday 20th - Friday 21st November
📍Venue: High Leigh Conference Centre, Lord Street, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, EN11 8SG
🎟️Tickets: £50 - £175 (Includes accommodation & meals)
ROC Webinar Resources
Did you miss our recent ROC Webinars? Fear not, we have uploaded the masterclasses onto ROC's online shop which you can download to watch at a time to suit you. Choose from 'Building Blocks to Community Transformation' and the topical 'Using AI for fundraising' - with more Masterclass videos coming soon.
We also have a range of helpful resources on our website to equip you and your team and churches with the skills they need for community transformation.
“Building a Lasting Legacy of Peace”
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our latest educational resource, “Building a Lasting Legacy of Peace”, now available in the ROC Shop! This dynamic and engaging resource pack has been carefully designed to inspire and educate young people in Key Stages 2 and 3, equipping them with essential skills and values to foster a more peaceful and cohesive society.
What Is the Legacy of Peace Resource Pack?
This innovative educational pack provides teachers and facilitators with a comprehensive toolkit to explore themes of peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and community cohesion with young learners. The materials are tailored to align with curriculum requirements for Key Stages 2 and 3, making it an invaluable asset for classrooms, youth groups, and community projects alike.
The pack includes:
Lesson plans and activities that are engaging, interactive, and adaptable to diverse learning environments.
Inspirational stories of real-life peacebuilders and their impactful work.
Practical exercises designed to build empathy, understanding, and collaborative problem-solving skills.
Creative resources to encourage reflection and critical thinking around the concept of peace.
Want to help ROCNI kickstart our April Fundraising? Donate NOW!
Small Gift, Big Change is a celebration of what we have achieved in the last decade, and a boost to take us into the next one - and we want you to be part of that.
Whether you want to show your appreciation for Keeva and all of the team's work over the last ten years, or help us run our Compassion Projects and Project CAN DO Programmes this year, your £10 monthly donation will go a long way helping to support our work for safer, stronger and kinder communities.
Don't forget to add Gift Aid so that your £10 becomes £12.50!
With your small gift, we can make a BIG change.
If you are interested in getting involved with our April Fundraising Campaign or have any questions about donating, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our Fundraising Officer Amy at amythomas@roc.uk.com
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