Springfield Charitable Association

Springfield Charitable Association (SCA) is a charity providing services for the community in West Belfast since its establishment, in 1980. Central to the work of the charity is the provision of an Older People’s Day Care Centre and Advice Centre.  The charity’s strategic aims include the development of a number of social enterprises which contribute towards self-sustainability and community social capital. The charity’s Springfield Road Charity Shop provides affordable second hand goods for the local community as well as meaningful employment and volunteering opportunities.

The organisation recently completed the refurbishment of a derelict building at Cupar Street.  This 9,000 square foot building, called a ‘Youth Club for Older People’ comprises a Day Resource Centre, Advice Centre, Conferencing facilities, rentable space for sympathetic businesses operating with a social enterprise purview and a hydrotherapy pool, treatment/clean room.

Refurbishment of this old and unused building incorporated the installation of a hydrotherapy pool, which is the subject of this application since we believe it is a service and facility that is ‘One to Watch’ within its demographic and in an era where we want to offer our service users and the wider community choices of what, when, where and how they receive their treatments and services.

SCA has  a voluntary Board of Trustees, 16 employees and 12 volunteers who work in different areas of the charity including day centre, advice, retail shop, conferencing and hydrotherapy.