Derry and Strabane
Ireland
Derry~Londonderry is Northern Ireland’s 2nd largest city, population 83,130, and the regional capital for the NW of the island of Ireland. It is a port city with a long history dating from a Celtic, monastic foundation in the C6th and with a complete walled inner-city, finished in 1619, which attracts many visitors from all over the world.
The River Foyle runs through the City and out into Lough Foyle. Strabane is some 15 miles south of the City where the Finn and Mourne Rivers join to form the River Foyle. The rural hinterland has a number of small towns and villages as well as the Sperrin hills. The Council area borders Co. Donegal in the Republic of Ireland with which there are strong economic, cultural, community and other links. The population of the Council area is 150,500.
- 34% of our population is under the age of 25 with 22% under 16. Unemployment has fallen to 4.8% but is still above the NI average of 2.5%.
- The City is building upon the success of being the first UK City of Culture in 2013 as well as the stage for the “Derry Girls” a very successful TV comedy series.
Despite our recent success, some challenges remain.
- Our Economic Inactivity in 16-64 years olds remains at 37%, well above the NI average of 27.7%. There is a need to attract more inward investment.
- Whilst it is 21 years since the signing of the Belfast Agreement, the region has made considerable progress in resolving problems associated with over 30 years of the “The Troubles” and the learning process will continue notwithstanding recent events.
The Council has, after a widespread community planning consultation process, put in place an ambitious Strategic Growth Plan launched in 2017, (see here for more details) and has as its overall aim:-
“A thriving, prosperous and sustainable City and District with equality of opportunity for all.”
Formal and Non-Formal Learning Infrastructure
Ulster University (UU), is one of the top ten entrepreneurial universities in the UK. £42m is invested in research and innovation programmes each year and it is ranked in the top 2% in the world and the Magee campus of the University is in the City.
The North West Regional College (NWRC), with campuses in Derry and Strabane and Limavady, supports over 20,000 students and has invested over £20m in upgrading and improving its campuses in recent years.
The Council area sits poised at a time of opportunity. We are learning and improving at a pace of change not witnessed in our history. We have the best performing education system for primary maths in Europe and the 6th best in the world. We are consistently the top-performing region of the UK at GCSE and A-Level examinations. There is also a thriving formal and informal network of learning communities, e.g. a large and flourishing U3A, with its own premises, and a Healthy Cities project in association with the Carnegie UK Trust.
Learning City Development
During the consultation process for the 1st statutory Community Plan produced by the Council, it became clear that Lifelong Learning could have a very important role in helping overcome the challenges which face the Region and becoming a member of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities would help to develop an active, creative and inclusive learning culture.
The three main stakeholders are Derry City and Strabane District Council, Ulster University and the NW Regional College; each of whom has provided funding for two years to the Project. The Project has also got the support of the Local Health & Social Care Trust as well as the Chamber of Commerce, community bodies and organisations, schools at all levels, churches et al.
A Management Group consisting of the 3 main stakeholders has been working for 2 years under the chairmanship of a local entrepreneur and it appointed a ‘Learning City Co-ordinator’ in December 2018. This Group reports to the Council’s Strategic Growth Plan’s Education and Skills Delivery Partnership
The Learning City and Region Sub-Group membership are drawn from representatives from a range of statutory and community stakeholders including Council, Health and Social Care Trust, The Education Authority, schools, Ulster University, Libraries NI, NWRC, NI Departments for the Economy and for Communities.
One of the first decisions of the Management Group was that it wanted to become an “Entrepreneurial City and Region” and that there should be a Learning City and Region Festival of Learning.
Key Activities
The WHSC Trust has already been working in the City in conjunction with the Carnegie Foundation UK on a Healthy Cities Project, which could link with the EcCoWell Project.
Derry City and Strabane District Council area straddle the border with the Republic of Ireland. Given the proximity of the 2 regions, a number of cross border partnerships have been created to enhance the flow of services, businesses, inward investment and education across the region. For example, the NW Cross-Border Education Cluster is a unique educational partnership between two jurisdictions – the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Its objective is to create educational and career pathways for our respective communities across the North-West Region, both in the RoI and NI. This Cross-Border Cluster is the result of collaborative working among the educational sector providers, namely
- Letterkenny Institute of Technology
- The Ulster University
- NW Regional college
- Donegal Educational & Training Board
Key Priority Areas for Future Development
Being a Learning City will make a big contribution towards the delivery of the economic regeneration of our city region through the development of skills, knowledge and entrepreneurial attitude in all learners. It will also help the city and region to respond creatively to complex problems and to require individuals and communities to develop skills, competencies, and habits that promote resilience, collaboration, civic entrepreneurship, and social and emotional learning especially in relation to the resolution of problems associated with over the 30 years of “The Troubles”.
Adopt and integrate the EcCoWell concept to maximise the positive impacts on the health and educational opportunities of all citizens.
It is our belief that by building a learning city, which provides open access to learning with an entrepreneurial culture at its core, our future will be one where income inequality and inequalities of all kinds are substantially reduced.
Some videos of examples of events in the region
Launch of Learning City Festival Jan 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSWuFsdBPwg&authuser=0
Nerve Centre, Derry; Fab Phonics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v4R3eoEBI8
Melodicity Derry Strabane Festival 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ei4CSHdnRw
Obon Festival 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUf-cHx6Vt8
Danny Boy sung by Codetta, a Derry Choir, at Proms in the Park, Belfast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrDhrZynz2c
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