Elevate Celebration Event 2025
Mentee groups from across Northern Ireland gathered in Portadown to celebrate the sixth anniversary of the Elevate Community Mentoring and Grants Programme, a Public Health Agency (PHA)-funded initiative that continues to support grassroots responses to health inequalities.
At the heart of the celebration was the impact made by communities over the last year—engaging with diverse groups including young people, older people, migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, those living with disabilities, and minority communities. These groups often face social isolation and exclusion, yet through Elevate, they have built new connections and found community-led support.
Since its inception, Elevate—delivered by the Community Development and Health Network (CDHN) in partnership with local Community Mentor organisations and the Public Health Agency —has supported 143 groups and trained 1,396 individuals from various sectors in health inequalities and community development.
“Together, these groups are catalysts for change,” said Joanne Vance, Director of CDHN. “Elevate has empowered volunteers and community workers to respond to global challenges—mental health, food insecurity, climate change, and health access—by applying local solutions rooted in community development.”
During the event, participants reflected on the programme’s reach and heard from community leaders involved in 2024–2025 projects. Key speakers included:
- Geraldine Lawless – Millennium Court
- Tiwalade Olatunbosun iAssist NI
- Jenny Marshall Mentor from Mid & East Antrim Agewell Partnership
- Grace Girvan – Bardic Educational Arts & Media
- Bernadette Millar PHA
- Seana Taylor from Foyle Deaf Association
- Stephanie Houston CDHN
The celebration was hosted by Millennium Court (Portadown 2000), an Elevate participant in 2024–25. Since 2019, the programme has awarded over £624,000 in small grants, helping groups tackle root causes of poor health using community development approaches.
Community Mentors—including ARC Healthy Living Centre, County Down Rural Community Network, Mid & East Antrim Agewell Partnership, and Supporting Communities NI—played a vital role in supporting mentees to design and deliver their projects.
Recent findings from the Department of Health’s Health Inequalities Report (2024) show that preventable mortality rates are three times higher in the most deprived areas. The Elevate programme demonstrates how community-led action and a joined-up, “Health in All Policies” approach are essential to reversing these trends.
