Shankill Sure Start

"Providing opportunities for children, their parents and families to develop in a holistic way in the Greater Shankill Area"

Phone: 028 9087 4000

Alessie Centre,
60 Shankill Road,
Belfast

BT13 2BB

The first three years of a child's life are the most important in its development.  During these early years a child's brain grows faster and the child's ability to learn is greater than at any other time in its life.

It is during these early years that attitudes, language skills, our ability to relate to one another and the ways in which we learn, think and behave are all laid down.

The Greater Shankill Partnership's Early Years Project and Sure Start programme provides support to parents of children from birth up to the age of four.  The project provides quality learning opportunities for the child and support, information and advice to parents on a wide range of issues.

The Project works with over 300 families and children throughout the Greater Shankill area and aims to provide opportunities for the holistic development of a new generation of children.

The Early Years Project was a ground-breaking initiative, established by the GSP in 1995, with EU funding.  Sure Start came into operation in 2001, funded initially by the Department of Health and currently by the Department of Education.

The Project operates from three Family Centres:

• The Alessie Centre at 60 Shankill Road
• The Martin Centre at 130 Ballygomartin Road
• The Hannah Centre at 915 Crumlin Road

Core activities include:

• Family Support service – Family Support staff can offer parents practical, emotional support and a signposting service to specialist agencies. Our home-based intervention programmes are individualized and designed to meet a families’ needs
• Dads Matter
• Parent & Toddler Groups
• Pregnancy Testing and Pregnancy Counselling Service
• Antenatal Support
• Postnatal Support
• Infant Massage
• Postnatal Depression Recovery Group
• Specialist programmes such as Handling Children’s Behaviour, Hanen Speech and Language development programme ‘You Make the Difference’ and the Family Nurturing programme
• Speech and Language support
• Sure Start Health Visitor
• Mencap Play Advisory service providing support for families with a child with a disability or special need, including a multi-sensory room
• Tiny Steps, programme for two year olds

For further information contact:

Irene Cooke, Project Coordinator on 028 9087 4000 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it