24th November 2003

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A conference is being held this week in Belfast’s Holyland area to discuss relationships between university students and residents and issues which affect both groups.

Residents, students, voluntary and statutory agencies, the University of Ulster, Queen’s University, Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education, landlords and the PSNI will take part in the conference and associated workshops.

The conference comes as an audit aimed at identifying the needs and concerns of all people living in the Holyland nears its conclusion. The audit, part of the Need to Know initiative, targeted more than 1,500 households in the area in a door-to-door canvass and focus groups.

Carried out by Extern, the Need to Know initiative will enable the targeting of further funding to address problems in the area and to facilitate the development of a representative community infrastructure and an improvement in community relations.

Some of the issues which have arisen during the project are problems with bins and litter, levels of crime and anti-social behaviour and noise nuisance.

These issues will be addressed at the workshops running as part of the conference.

Professor Peter Roebuck, Provost (Community Relations) at the University of Ulster, said: “The University of Ulster has strongly supported the Need to Know initiative in the Holyland from its inception. We look forward to positive, concrete outcomes from the programme and, with our partners, will do everything in our power to promote such outcomes.

“This conference is an important part of the Need to Know process and we are delighted to be involved in it”, he added.

Sara Vaughan, overall President of the Students’ Union at the University of Ulster, said: “"The University of Ulster Students' Union welcomes this opportunity to meet with local residents, students, and voluntary organisations. We hope that this conference will address the serious issues affecting both students and long term residents and that through open discussion, we can work alongside one another to resolve the problems in the South Belfast area."

Anne Monaghan, Community Relations Manager with the University of Ulster, said: “Many issues will be raised at this conference and what residents have to say will not sit comfortably with those agencies who have a responsibility for the area. There are many problems in the Holyland and these issues affect our students also.

We are pleased to attend this conference so that we can play our part in addressing these issues and we will be explaining the work which the University of Ulster has undertaken over the last number of years to improve the quality of life for students and residents”.

Students are invited to attend the conference which includes dinner, starting at 6.30pm at the Holiday Inn, University Street.

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk