Shankill Shared Women’s Centre

Shankill Shared Women's Centre is a project led by Belfast City Council which will deliver a purpose-built facility close to the Lanark Way interface area in west Belfast. It has been funded by €8.4 million, under the Shared Spaces and Services theme of PEACE IV.

The current Shankill Women’s Centre opened in 1987. Over the years, it grew in success and popularity and has provided education, training, health awareness, childcare and activities for women in the Greater Shankill area - and beyond. 

Once the new facility opens, its team will work with the Clonard Neighbourhood Development Partnership (incorporating Clonard Women’s Group) to deliver services. 

The new building will provide a neutral space aimed at cross-community activities to facilitate ‘meaningful, purposeful and sustained' contact between women, children and young people from both sides of the interface. A further aim of the project is to reduce the intra-community tensions caused by paramilitary conflict. 

The city’s long-term community plan is called the Belfast Agenda and one of its priorities is to make life better for all residents by improving neighbourhoods, supporting and caring for people who face multiple challenges - and improving community relations. Belfast City Council and its project partners believe the new Shankill Shared Women’s Centre will undoubtedly make a huge contribution to the area. 

The investment will not only see the creation of a unique shared space developed on a cross-community basis but also the transformation of a derelict site. The project will be supported by outreach workers in relevant communities to encourage and enable people to use the new space. 

Construction work began on the project in early 2022, with an opening date scheduled for next year.