North Belfast Senior Citizens Forum

North Belfast Senior Citizens Forum (NBSCF) represents the interests of around 25 member groups and individual older people throughout North Belfast. We run an outreach benefits advice service targeting isolated older people. Over the past 5 years we have helped local older people claim over £0.5 million in unclaimed benefits. We are also a lobbying and advocacy group. We campaigned intensively for the introduction of free transport for people aged 60+ and on more local issues such as the retention of A&E services at the Mater Hospital.

Over the last few years we have worked collaboratively across the city with our colleagues in Engage with Age and Volunteer Now on men's health, health and wellbeing and political lobbying. A recent succcess was the Going for Gold Olympic event organised at the O-zone bringing together over 100 older people from across Belfast to partake in alternative therapies, games taster sessions and health checks. We worked alongside our colleagues in Active Belfast on this project.

At present we are working on a Level 2 Community Pharmacy Project which will advertise the services of local pharmacists and allow us to provide health and well-being events such as walking groups, yoga, tai chi etc.

In addition we work with NEA on fuel poverty initiatives and with a range of groups to provide community safety open days.

We are funde by the Crumlin/Ardoyne Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership. Over the past few years we have also received support from JTI to run activities such as computer classes for our members.

We have 3 staff. A full-time project co-ordinator, a part-time outreach advice worker and a part-time administrator.