Social Value and Community Activity
A significant social value package has been delivered by Translink and our contractors, exceeding all targets, totaling more than £2 million of additional social value generated.
A report in July 2024 provided the following key statistics:
31,659.4 social value social value points gained on the project (total required was 14,400)
78 placements and apprenticeships
197 employment opportunities for under-represented groups
86 education attainment events
89 environmental awareness initiatives
71 health and wellbeing initiatives
18 social enterprises used
745 hours of community volunteering
Some examples of the community projects and activities delivered on the project include:
- School improvement projects for local pre & primary schools
- Environmental improvement schemes at existing community facilities
- Provision of infrastructure for community events
- Information webinars for local community groups and businesses
- Community fun days
- Donations of equipment and materials for local projects
- Litter picks and community clean-up days
- Volunteering with local and regional social enterprises and charities
- Funding of local sports clubs and The Prince’s Trust
- Meals on Wheels for local pensioners and vulnerable people
Arts Heritage and Wellbeing
During the lifetime of the project around 1,000 people have been engaged through events and activities to support the ongoing delivery of Arts, Heritage & Wellbeing programmes. This work will continue through to the conclusion of the project in 2025/26.
Community activities in 2025 have included:
6th March 2025
Partnership with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful by engaging in the ‘Live Here, Love Here’ initiative. Project representatives will volunteer in a litter pick alongside residents / community reps in Inner South and Inner West Belfast.
12th & 13th March 2025
Partnership with Young at Arts’ Belfast Children's Festival 2025 to offer Blythefield, St Jospeh’s, St Mary’s, Donegal Road and Fane Street primary school students the opportunity to engage in a facilitated Dance Workshop.
14th March 2025
Students from Blythefield, St Jospeh’s, St Mary’s, Donegal Road and Fane Street have been invited to a special in station performance from dance duo POP!
26th March 2025
Partnership with Vita Wellness to run a health and wellbeing event in the Europa Hotel. There is a wide range of activities and workshops focused on improving physical and mental wellbeing, from yoga to physiotherapy and sleep workshops to breathwork and meditation.
March – May 2025
Partnership with Arts Care to engage groups from Inner South and Inner West in a unique concept which is Crankie Theatre. This is a form of storytelling that combines visual elements of a scroll accompanied by live performances specifically scripted to help preserve heritage, traditions and stories integral to the community.
March – June 2025
In partnership with Belfast Mural Arts, a range of workshops will be delivered with local primary schools to produce another mural for the Network Wall. The key theme is centred around everything is connected and celebrating / representing the pupils themselves.
9th April 2025
Translink’s BGCS team is set to host a Global Diversity event at the Station alongside the Cultural Network team for primary school students from inner south Belfast - Fane Street, Blythefield and Donegal Road primary school. The students will get the opportunity to perform and engage in a wide range of interactive activities.
April – June 2025
Partnership with Sport Changes Life to deliver a range of workshops designed for Primary 7 pupils across five local primary schools, focusing on their transition from primary to secondary education. The sport led personal development workshops combine physical activity with educational workshops.
Stakeholder Engagement
Throughout the duration of this project, extensive stakeholder engagement has been carried out to communicate the works.
Significant support has been voiced for the project from representative bodies and interest groups.
Engagement with the communities around the station has focused on community meetings and briefings to key elected representatives and community groups as well as regular presentations to Belfast City Council.
Moving forward, a monthly newsletter is being circulated by our contractor, FSJV, to provide updates on the ongoing construction work.
We will also be hosting public drop-in sessions in May 2025 with further information on the timing for the reopening of Durham Street/Boyne Bridge Place and what the new public realm will look like when complete.
If you would like further information on the construction programme, please contact FSJV’s dedicated project hotline number on 028 9621 1160.
Boyne Bridge
To enhance accessibility to the new station, Durham Street needs to be lowered, and the 1936 Boyne Bridge has now been removed to allow direct level access between Sandy Row and the new station.
The 1642 Saltwater or Great Bridge, which King William is said to have crossed on the way to the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, sits low enough in the ground to be preserved in situ. The section of Durham Street from the Glengall Street junction to the Hope Street junction has also now been renamed ‘Boyne Bridge Place’ by Belfast City Council to reflect where the 1936 Boyne Bridge once stood.
Translink recognise that the local community values their heritage. We are committed to preserving this through an extensive Arts & Heritage strategy, which will be carried out in partnership with local communities.
Independent archaeologists are continuing to monitor the works in this location with elements of steelworks retained.
Saltwater Square
Saltwater Square will be a new high quality public realm space which has the potential to be used for outdoor performances and community events. It is named due to the historically important meeting of saltwater and freshwater under the original stone bridge across the River Blackstaff.
The new square will have a strong emphasis on arts and heritage and has the potential to become a focal point for everyone to use and enjoy. This includes reusing elements of the 1936 bridge where possible within Saltwater Square.
Design and development of this outside space is underway, and we will be engaging with key stakeholders on our plans in advance of opening.