Forthspring Inter Community Group was incorporated as a Company limited by guarantee in 1996.
Forthspring began operations from the newly refurbished premises of the Springfield Road Methodist Church in September 1997, with it's official opening on October 17th 1997.
The group at this time was a partnership of four groups:
Currach
Community
Cornerstone
Community
Mid Springfield
Community Association
Springfield
Road Methodist Church
The partnership between these four groups had developed over a period of years and all the parties involved believed they could offer a more structured and effective service to their client group by constituting a new community group which became known as Forthspring.
Prior to the establishment of Forthspring, its partners had been working together in the provision of programmes to meet the perceived needs of the Community such as Parent and Toddlers, Afterschools, Youth, work with Women and Senior Citizens.
Many of the activities operated from the hall of the Methodist Church. Due to circumstances including a number of arson attacks and a dwindling congregation the Church premises fell into a state of disrepair.
While this did not discourage the enthusiasm of those involved in the various programmes, it became apparent that the premises would require extensive refurbishment, if they were to be in continued use.
Money was sought and approximately £500,000 was secured from various sources including European Funds, IFI, Rank Trust and the Methodist Church which enabled the building to be completely refurbished into a multi purpose cross community centre with a worship sanctuary at the heart of the building.
Building work was completed in September 1997 and Forthspring appointed a Project Co-ordinator and MISCA a Play Co-ordinator who together joined existing staff members at Cornerstone, a Family and Development Worker and a Youth Worker.
The programmes which ran at this time were:
Parent
& Toddlers
Afterschools
Youth Work
Work with
Women
Work with
Senior Citizens
A Men's
Group
Drop in
Café
Forthspring
Dialogue Group
During the first couple of years the programme flourished with a number of local volunteers assisting the staff in leading and developing the work.
In 1999 tensions were high in the local area around the time of the Whiterock Parade and these tensions filtered into the workings of Forthspring. A number of the volunteers left Forthspring and the Centre suffered an arson attack which badly damaged the Parent and Toddler Room.
The work however has continued to develop and while the programmes have remained similar there has been a consolidation of the work and structures of the organisation.
In February 2000 a group of staff, Executive and wider volunteers met and discussed the events of the previous couple of years. At this stage it emerged there was not much energy to maintain MISCA as a separate entity and in April 2000 MISCA was wound up and the staff and work of MISCA was transferred to Forthspring.
At this workshop there was a strong commitment from all present to stay with the vision of Forthspring and to carry this vision forward.
In May 2000 Cornerstone in consultation with Forthspring transferred the staffing and the workings of the youth programme over to Forthspring.
In 2000 Forthspring enlisted the services of PMG Consultancy to carry out a Needs and Perceptions Report. The terms of reference for the research were;
1. To assess the extent to which communities' needs are
being addressed by Forthspring's work.
2. To describe the nature of communities' perceptions of Forthspring's
work.
3. The changes in Forthspring's work implied by the findings in 1 and
2.
In his findings Pat McGinn identified three primary issues which he felt it was important for Forthspring to develop.
(A) An alternative structure of governance which will provide
for the means by which local people may develop a sense of ownership
(B) A form of integration of it's services/projects which allows the organisation
to pursue reconciliation more effectively than has been possible to date.
(C) Relations of partnership with other organisations in a fuller and
more sustained manner than to date.
The Needs and Perceptions Report concluded by suggesting the ultimate needs of the communities' in which Forthspring works is for the creation of social capital (trust, relationships and networks among people).
Taking on board the report carried out by PMG Consultancy the staff, Executive and Volunteers of Forthspring in consultation with the users developed a new three year strategy in September 2001.
The strategy re-affirms the commitment to the Peace-work that has been the driving force from the outset of the creation of Forthspring.