“There remains much hard work to be done” in tackling the “complex” causes of deprivation in the Enniskillen Neighbourhood Renewal Area.

Last week, The Impartial Reporter highlighted that violent crime, suicide and poor educational attainment are higher in the Enniskillen Neighbourhood Renewal Area (NRA) – which covers Windmill Heights, Galliagh Park, Rossorry Church Road, The Brook, Willoughby Place, Old Henry Street, Enniskillen town centre, Cornagrade and Kilmacormick 1 – than in non-deprived areas.

In response, officials involved in the Enniskillen Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership admit that more needs to be done but insist they are committed to supporting disadvantaged communities.

The Enniskillen Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership was set up by the Department for Social Development (DSD) in 2007. The statutory members are Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, the Western Health and Social Care Trust, Education Authority Western Region, Transport NI, the PSNI and Jobs and Benefits Offices. Local councillors are also involved in the Partnership. The community and voluntary members include Kilmacormick 1 Community Association, Devenish Partnership Forum, Windmill Heights Community Association, Fermanagh Trust, Volunteer Now, Fermanagh Enterprise, and Supporting Communities NI.

DSD's Neighbourhood Renewal Investment Fund granted approximately £440,000 to the Enniskillen Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership this financial year (2015-16). Almost half will go to the Devenish Partnership Forum which delivers a range of programmes across the Enniskillen NRA area. The rest has been given to Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (£79,000); the Education Authority Western Region (£80,600) and the Western Health and Social Care Trust (£50,000).

The Education Authority will spend £49,875 on the Enniskillen Learning Mentor project (a learning mentor working across six post primary schools supporting pupils in achieving their potential academically, socially and emotionally) and £30,800 on the Bridging the Gap project at Holy Trinity primary school.

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC) will spend the money on facilitating the Partnership's meetings and workshops and funding the parent/toddler, youth and senior citizen classes at the West End Temporary Community venue on the Sligo Road. DSD funding of £300,000 has been granted to build a new facility for this group but it must be spent before then end of March 2016, when DSD's neighbourhood renewal function is set to transfer to local councils. Fermanagh and Omagh District Council has decided to proceed to design stage but to hold this project until the new financial year.

The Western Trust will spend the money on the Enniskillen Neighbourhood Renewal Health Project, which sees the Trust work in partnership with local organisations, including: the Aisling Centre's counselling and psychotherapy service for men and women from the NRA that are experiencing distress and despair and presenting with a complex range of issues e.g. abuse, trauma, suicidal ideation, depression, bereavement; NexusNI's specialist counselling to victims of sexual abuse; the Solace project, based at the ARC Healthy Living Centre which provides support for those living with addictions; and the Devenish Partnership Forum's health and well-being programmes to NRA residents.

Responding to the statistics which show an increase in suicides and deaths in the under 75s in Enniskillen NRA, a spokeswoman from the Western Trust says: “It is well documented that people who live in deprived areas such as Neighbourhood Renewal Areas are at a much higher risk of suffering from ill health and have lower life expectancy than the population as a whole.

“The Western Health and Social Care Trust is committed to supporting these communities and leads on a number of health and well-being projects designed to tackle inequalities in health.”

She also highlights the Trust's work with Fermanagh Drug and Alcohol Forum and its funding of two sexual health clinics in the South West Regional College.

An FODC spokeswoman tells The Impartial Reporter: “The Council is fully supportive of the Enniskillen Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership in their work to tackle the complex factors resulting in deprivation.

“The Council recognises that there remains much hard work to be done to reduce the gap between the Enniskillen NRA and non NRAs.

“However, the positive achievements, such as the reduction in the need for income support, incapacity benefit and the increase in the number of young people achieving five or more GCSEs, must be recognised and acknowledged.”