Welcome to the website of the Local Strategy Partnership in Ards.

We trust that our website will keep you up to date with the work of the LSP in Ards and the projects funded and administered by the LSP.

The LSP in Ards was established in November 2005 and our vision is "to contribute to peace and reconciliation through practical actions by development of the Ards community through creating social, cultural and economic opportunities for all residents of the Borough".

The LSP in Ards is a Partnership which is governed by a board of members drawn from the Community & Voluntary sectors, Trade Unions, Councillors and Central Government.

Through funding from the European Peace II Extension Programme, the LSP in Ards has distributed over £520,000 of funding to thirteen projects located throughout the Borough. This website is designed to update you on these projects, their aims and indeed their progress.

Thank You for visiting our website and for taking an interest in the work we are doing alongside our project delivery organisations, for all the people living in the community of the Borough of Ards.

Councillor Michelle McIlveen
Chair LSP in Ards

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

"To contribute to peace and reconciliation through practical actions to the development of the Ards community by creating social, cultural and economic opportunities for all residents of the Borough."

The Peace II and Peace II Extension Programmes allowed for the setting up of the Local Strategy Partnership in Ards which is composed of Councillors, members representing the statutory sector and members representing the social partners - trade unions, business interests, farming interests and others representing community and voluntary interests.

The Partnership has been authorised by the Special European Programmes Body to develop and deliver the Peace II and Peace II Extension Programmes in the Ards Borough Area.

The inaugural meeting of the Local Strategy Partnership in Ards was held on 18th November 2005.

The Local Strategy Partnership in Ards is a cohesive body, and is comprised of four pillars each with six members.

- Strand one will be made up of two pillars and shall be known as the Council and Statutory Agencies sector comprising six Councillors and six representatives from the Statutory and quasi or analogous organisations

- Strand two will be made up of two pillars and shall be known as the Social Partners sector and will comprise representation from the community & voluntary sector, commerce, industry, agriculture, rural development, trade unions, arts and any other group considered by the Partnership to be in a position to contribute to the aims and objectives of the organisation.

The Partnership meets on a bi-monthly basis beginning with the Annual General Meeting.

Our Current Board Members are: