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Social and Community Capital

Harmony Community Trust

Bringing people together

Harmony Community Trust is all about bringing people together. It does this at Glebe House, a unique and special place in Northern Ireland that children, young people and adults have been visiting since 1975.

Harmony Community Trust

Its vibrant programmes engage children, teenagers and senior citizens in a neutral environment, challenging assumptions and allowing bridges to be built between people from different backgrounds – still vital in Northern Irish communities. In recent years the Trust has also developed and delivered a range of programmes to address problems of rural isolation, particularly for older people. 

And it’s clear how much fun it is. Alisha used to stay at Glebe as a child and now comes back to volunteer: “When I used to come here I was so excited. I always knew I was going to come back and do volunteering. I just loved it here. We never wanted to leave.”

Through its activities Harmony Community Trust also gives children and young people from disadvantaged families a break. “One of the main things that our young people have in common is that they don’t have very much”, explains Julie Gibson, Children’s Programme Worker. 

But with a reduction in statutory funding, Glebe House came under threat. Ulster Bank put Harmony Community Trust in touch with Social & Community Capital. We were able to offer a loan with flexible terms, including an interest-free period that is allowing Harmony Community Trust to develop a sustainable business model. This has been of significant benefit to everyone at Glebe House – as Council Member Helen Honeyman explains, “we probably would have gone out of business.

Two men wearing woolen caps, standing by a suburban window

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