“Focusing on Europe” Maximising European Opportunities & Funds

1. NI Best Practice Scheme “Focusing on Europe”Maximising European Opportunities & Funds Laura Leonard European Manager Belfast City Council Best Practice Day, 29 November 2005

2. Introduction Background to BCC EU Unit Unit Structure Key Priorities Some Examples of Our Best Practice

3. Background to Unit 1990s – Ad hoc activity Increasing activity / Eurocities Making the Case Formal Establishment

4. Strategic Fit Eurocities Strategic Objectives Northern Ireland Programme for Government Corporate Plan Capital City

5. Unit Structure European Manager 2 European Officers 1 Regional Project Officer Admin Support

6. Key Priorities Information Dissemination European Awareness City Promotion Networking Lobbying Project Delivery Trade Opportunities

7. 3 Examples of Unit’s Best Practice • Unit Priorities: • Networking • Promoting Belfast in Europe

8. INTRODUCTION • What is Connect? • Peace II Funding – Measure 4.1 • To support development links with other European Regions (including Central and Eastern European Europe) to facilitate the exchange of best practice and lesson learning in the context of approaches to economic, social, urban development and local governance

9. CONNECT AIMS & OBJECTIVES • To establish a European Regional Network • To encourage dialogue and foster links and co-operation • To engage in European Networking • To promote the image of the Comet Region and share the regions unique experience • To ensure that urban affairs are placed high on European Unions Policy Agenda

10. CONNECT PARTNERSHIP • COMET • VALENCIA (Spain) • Rybnik (Poland) • Stockholm (Sweden) • Vilnius (Lithuania)

11. PROJECT DELIVERY • Planning Meetings • Recce Visits • Inward Visits • Outward Visits • Reporting and Information Dissemination

12. PROGRESS TO DATE • Valencia Exchange • Rybnik Exchange • Stockholm Exchange

13. NEXT STEPS • Pursue Opportunities from Valencia and Stockholm • Vilnius Exchange • Final Conference

14. Women Into Non-Traditional Sectors Project (WINS) • Unit Priorities: • Lobbying • Trans-national Networking

15. WHAT IS WINS?

16. WHAT IS WINS?

17. WHAT IS WINS?

18. WHAT IS WINS?

19. WHAT IS WINS? • Training & Work Experience in non traditional jobs

20. Why? • Largest possible talent pool • Better decisions • Better customer identification • Alleviating skills shortages

21. Cleansing

22. DRIVING

23. Crafts

24. Horticulture

25. Role Models

26. Who is it for? • Women • Returning to work • Interested in a new career

27. What do we want to achieve? • Address the gender imbalance in the workforce • Direct benefit to women • Demonstrate commitment to equality • Improve our policies and practices

28. WHEN? • Jan – Mar 2006 • 15 hours a week • 8 weeks of training • 4 weeks of work experience

29. Assistance with Childcare and Travel

31. “New Europe, New Faces” & “Opportunity Europe” • Unit Priorities: • Information Dissemination • European Awareness

32. Total audience – 20,000 people • 2,000 at EuroFair with 40 exhibitors; • 110 at each of the community/voluntary and the business seminars • 24 students on exchange visits • 16,000 viewed the photographic exhibition • Extensive PR Exercises: • 15,000 flyers distributed • 22 billboards mounted over the city • Radio interviews • coverage in international, national, regional and local press • Willingness to see this type of programme to be continually rolled out • Recently awarded the “Federation Francaise des Maisons de l’Europe” • for citizens’ participation Outputs of Enlargement Programme

33. No direct EC funding • Same partnering organisations • Activities to coincide with European Day of Languages • Outputs for 2005: • 25% increase in exhibitor numbers • realised 2004 attendance figure at EuroFair in its first afternoon • fun element combined with educational purposes “Opportunity Europe”

34. Questions ? ? ? ?