South Belfast Partnership Board

What South Belfast Partnership Board does

South Belfast Partnership Board, operating as Forward South Partnership (FSP), is an independent charity founded in 2001 and registered in Northern Ireland as a company limited by guarantee (NI036168) with charity registration XR30331. The organisation is part of the Belfast Area Partnerships structure, which has led community regeneration initiatives across Belfast for over 25 years. FSP delivers nine core service programmes covering community empowerment, community relations, crisis counselling (Lighthouse), Holyland capacity building, Roma support, early-years education transition (STEP), health and wellbeing, a social supermarket, and urban regeneration, supported by cross-cutting initiatives such as Dementia Friendly South Belfast, the Community Support Group forum, Community Conversations, and the Open Botanic festival. Services are delivered directly through community venues, schools, and family settings, primarily to South Belfast residents including families with children, Roma communities from at least six countries, individuals experiencing food poverty, and people referred for crisis counselling.

Name

South Belfast Partnership Board

Legal name

Forward South Partnership

Website

https://southbelfast.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Forward South Partnership is an independent Belfast charity coordinating community regeneration in South Belfast. It delivers nine service programmes — crisis counselling, Roma support, education transition, social supermarket and more — through a network of 150+ community organisations and statutory partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Regeneration Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Community Food Services (624210), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB), Family-School Collaboration & Inclusion Planning Support (EDAKABAK)

Keywords

• Community regeneration services
• Social welfare programmes
• Community development
• Urban regeneration initiatives
• Charitable community support

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Forward South Partnership operates as an independent charity funded primarily through grants from public bodies and government programmes. Major funding includes PEACEPLUS (managed by SEUPB), Public Health Agency, Belfast City Council, and Dormant Accounts funding.
2. Charitable Donations: The organisation may receive charitable donations and support as part of its community regeneration activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Forward South Partnership is an independent charity that delivers community regeneration services across South Belfast through a portfolio of programmes spanning health and wellbeing, early intervention, social inclusion, urban regeneration, and community relations. It works in partnership with over 150 community and voluntary groups, schools, statutory agencies, and private sector partners to address social, economic, health, and environmental regeneration needs. Core services include the Social Supermarket for food poverty relief, crisis counselling via GP referral, Roma community support, education transition programmes, and the PEACEPLUS-funded Community Empowerment Programme.

Product overview

Forward South Partnership is a community-led charity offering a portfolio of interconnected social services focused on regenerating South Belfast. The core offering consists of nine distinct service programmes: Community Empowerment Programme (PEACEPLUS-funded initiative), Community Relations (good relations and cohesion), Crisis Counselling (Lighthouse service), Holyland Capacity Building, Roma Support Hub, Health and Wellbeing, Social Supermarket, Urban Regeneration, and STEP early intervention education programme. These services are supported by cross-cutting initiatives including Dementia Friendly South Belfast, Community Support Group forum, Community Conversations series, and Open Botanic festival. Services are delivered in partnership with community, schools, business, public and private sector partners to address environmental, social, economic and community regeneration needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Empowerment Programme (CEP) A three-year programme part of the Belfast PEACEPLUS Local Community Action Plan, empowering communities to shape local areas, strengthen relationships, and build lasting change through collaboration and leadership. Recruits participants to co-design and deliver community projects.
• Community Relations Programme Strategic Community Relations Programme promoting cohesive and inclusive community relations in South Belfast through intercultural dialogue, cultural literacy, and grassroots leadership development with a social justice and restorative approach to equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Crisis Counselling (Lighthouse Counselling) Confidential counselling service delivered in-person at Forward South Partnership, providing up to 6 sessions of 50 minutes each for persons aged 18 and over, accessed via GP referral through Belfast Trust Primary Care Talking Therapies.
• Holyland Capacity Building Holyland Community Capacity Programme delivering targeted capacity-building initiatives to support residents, tenants, local groups, associations, and businesses through workstreams focused on community development, urban regeneration, health and wellbeing, good relations and cohesion, and community safety.
• Roma Support Hub Support hub for Roma communities providing telephone helpline, English classes, welfare/social benefit and immigration (EUSS) advice, drop-in services for employment, housing, justice, health care, and education support. Works primarily with Romanian and Slovakian Roma and assists Roma from at least 6 countries.
• Seamless Transition Through Education Partnership (STEP) Early intervention programme delivered with consortium partners (Barnardo's, Sólás, South Belfast Surestart, Belfast South Community Resource Centre) targeting families and children with five strands: Perinatal support, Loving Learning programme, Transition Programmes, Family Support, and SENs Programme.
• Health and Wellbeing Coordination Strategic health and wellbeing coordination with community, voluntary and statutory agencies including South Belfast Winter Plan, Cost of Living Support Plan, South Belfast Green Health Map, South Belfast Development Fund partnerships, and Dementia Friendly South Belfast campaign.
• Social Supermarket Social supermarket supporting transition out of food poverty by providing food, cleaning products and toiletries at discounted prices. Offers appointment-based service at £10 for 18 items or £5 for 9 items, with wraparound services relating to health and wellbeing.
• Urban Regeneration Programme Inclusive and transformative place-making programme focused on creating opportunities for greater connectivity and sharing, including Open Botanic community street festival, facilitation of Community Support Group, and coordination in Neighbourhood Renewal Areas.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,500 people supported through initiatives
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Public Health Agency (PHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHA is the Lead Partner for the STEP (Seamless Transition Through Education Partnership) programme and Belfast South Early Intervention Programme. PHA works with Forward South Partnership and consortium of community organisations to deliver early intervention programmes for families and children.
• Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNICVA collaborates with Forward South Partnership on the Community Empowerment Programme as part of the Belfast PEACEPLUS Local Community Action Plan. NICVA leads on programme delivery while FSP leads local delivery in South Belfast area.
• Barnardo'scoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of five consortium delivery partners for the Belfast South Early Intervention Programme (BSEI/STEP), working with families and children in South Belfast.
• Sólás (Autism & Additional Needs Charity)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium delivery partner for BSEI/STEP programme, providing SENs Programme including Saturday Club for children aged 5-11 and Reach programme for post-primary age youth.
• South Belfast Sure StartcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium delivery partner for BSEI programme delivering early intervention services to families and young children in South Belfast.
• Belfast South Community Resource CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium delivery partner for BSEI programme as part of the early intervention initiative in South Belfast.
• Belfast Health and Social Care TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in South Belfast Community Response Plan to death by suicide, working with Forward South Partnership to build community capacity for mental health support.
• Belfast City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in PEACEPLUS Local Community Action Plan. Five Belfast City Councillors are elected to Forward South Partnership Board. BCC Democratic Services nominates councillors to FSP Board.
• South Belfast Development Fund PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with five organisations: Lower Ormeau Residents Group, Greater Village Regeneration Trust, Chinese Welfare Association, Ballynafeigh Community Development Association, and Taughmonagh Community Forum. Coordinates South Belfast Development Fund focusing on health and wellbeing.
• East Belfast Community Development Agency (EBCDA)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity partner in citywide Community Empowerment Programme, leading local delivery in East Belfast area.
• Falls Community CouncilminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity partner in Community Empowerment Programme, leading local delivery in Falls area.
• Greater Shankill Partnership BoardminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity partner in Community Empowerment Programme, leading local delivery in Greater Shankill area.
• Marrowbone Community AssociationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity partner in Community Empowerment Programme, leading local delivery in Marrowbone area.
• West Belfast Partnership BoardminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity partner in Community Empowerment Programme, leading local delivery in West Belfast area.
• Belfast Area PartnershipscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCitywide structure of which Forward South Partnership is part, collectively leading community regeneration initiatives across Belfast for over 23 years.
• TranslinkminorOthersForward South Partnership documents share Translink's response to Belfast Rapid Transit Phase 2 announcement as part of their information resources, indicating ongoing stakeholder relationship.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NICVA (Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action): Northern Ireland-wide umbrella body for the voluntary and community sector. Leads on PEACEPLUS Community Empowerment Programme delivery and provides capacity-building support to member organisations including Forward South.
• Community Foundation for Northern Ireland: Grantmaking charity distributing funds across Northern Ireland community initiatives. Comparable charity structure focused on funding community-led work but operating at province rather than neighbourhood level.

Regional players

• Lower Ormeau Residents Group: South Belfast community partner within the South Belfast Development Fund consortium alongside Forward South. Comparable grassroots community development and good-relations focus but with a narrower geographic remit within South Belfast.

Direct peers

• Greater Village Regeneration Trust: South Belfast Development Fund partner alongside Forward South. Comparable community regeneration, health and wellbeing, and good-relations remit focused on the Village area of South Belfast.
• East Belfast Community Development Agency (EBCDA): Belfast Area Partnerships member delivering community regeneration in East Belfast. Direct peer on the PEACEPLUS Community Empowerment Programme and equivalent community-led model with neighbourhood renewal focus.
• West Belfast Partnership Board: Sister partnership board within the Belfast Area Partnerships structure, delivering community regeneration across West Belfast. Direct counterpart on PEACEPLUS Local Community Action Plan and identical governance model with elected community representatives and nominated councillors.
• Greater Shankill Partnership Board: Belfast Area Partnerships member focused on community regeneration in the Greater Shankill area. Co-partner with Forward South on the citywide PEACEPLUS Community Empowerment Programme and shares the elected-community/government trustee governance structure.
• Falls Community Council: Belfast community organisation leading local delivery in the Falls area as part of the PEACEPLUS Community Empowerment Programme. Direct peer in the same Belfast regeneration ecosystem with overlapping cross-community cohesion mandate.
• Marrowbone Community Association: Community association leading local delivery in the Marrowbone area under the PEACEPLUS Community Empowerment Programme. Direct peer with comparable small-team, area-based regeneration model.

Emerging players

• Barnardo's (Northern Ireland): Major UK children's charity operating in Northern Ireland and a consortium delivery partner for Forward South's STEP/BSEI early intervention programme. Comparable early-intervention and family support focus but operating at UK-wide scale rather than area-specific.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ForwardSouthPB
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCU7YmFwD-0HO4KKa4GWvHPA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ForwardSouthPartnership
• Instagraminstagram.com/forwardsouthpartnership
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-belfast-partnership-board

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about South Belfast Partnership Board