Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1     Relevant Background Information

1.1    World Café Europe is a non profit organisation that works to provide opportunities for individuals and organisations to come together to exchange knowledge and to work collectively to address the issues that matter.  

1.2    World Café Europe is planning to submit a proposal to the European Commission to use engagement to give citizens an authentic voice in the development of the Age-friendly City in which they live.

1.3    The project aims through various forms of engagement to gather insights that will help shape EU policy making on Age-friendly Cities and Communities as well as providing inspiration and support to others.

1.4    World Café Europe, with the support of the World Health Organisation, has identified five European cities that they believe can bring a unique perspective to this project from their efforts to create their own Age-friendly City. Belfast has been identified as one of these cities and invited to become a project partner together with Kristianstad (Sweden); Györ (Hungary); Ljubljana (Slovenia) and Udine (Italy). 

1.5    It is proposed as part of the project that Belfast would host a ‘World Café’ event for 200 invited participants including local older citizens and representatives from the four European project partners. The dialogue for this event with be agreed locally to address issues relevant to our City and planned with the support of World Café Europe. Similar World Café events will also be held in Gyor, Ljubljana and Udine.

1.6    During the World Café dialogue people will participate in intimate conversations at small tables in a relaxed atmosphere similar to a European coffee house. As the conversation unfolds, people move between tables, cross-pollinating their ideas around the questions that really matter to their lives or work. The innovative design of World Café fosters shared listening to everyone’s ideas and enables new perspectives to emerge, creating both mutual respect and innovative possibilities for action.

2       Key Issues

2.1    Belfast, together with four other leading Eurpean Cities has been invited by World Cafe Europe to apply to the European Commision for funding to deliver a programme to engage citizens to help create Age-friendly Cities for all Europeans.

2.2    It is anticipated that the World Cafe event will provide Belfast with a unique opportunity to:

·        identify an important local issue that effects older people in the city and to engage local citizens, with the support of World Cafe Europe, in an innovate way to share knowlege and action.

·        support the community planning process,

·        share learning with other leading European Age-friendly Cities,

·        influence European policy development on Age-friendly Cities,

·        train a number of older people in the City as dialogue facilitators,

·        assist dialogue on the development of intergenerational age-friendly neighbourhoods,

·        help us to expand involvement of isolated older people in the Age-friendly Belfast  approach –for example older carers and minority ethnic groups,

2.3    World Cafe Europe will lead and coordinate the application and delivery of the programme. It is anticipated the 18 month programme would commence April 2015. 

2.4    As project partner Belfast City Council would be expected to provide a local project coordinator who would:

·        attend two project team meetings in Munich,

·        send a representative to the world cafes events in other partner cities

·        coordinate two site meetings with World Café Europe in Belfast to plan the event and meet local stakeholders,

·        identify venues, plan, deliver and analyse a World Cafe event in Belfast,

·        plan communications including a press conference and social media,

·        provide project documentation including reflection on analysis and evaluation,

2.5    It is anticipated each World Café will be allocated a budget of 30,000 Euros. With approximately 20,000 Euros being allocated to the City Council to cover costs for required infrastructure, travel, project documentation etc. and approximately 10,000 Euros allocated to World Café Europe for project management and support services provided.

2.6    As project partner Belfast City Council would be required to provide the services of a project coordinator as its contribution in kind. It is anticipated that this will be provided for within the existing budget estimates and at no additional costs.

3       Resource Implications

3.1    HR Implications

         Contribution of existing staff time for project

3.2    Financial implications

         No financial implications as external funding anticipated to cover additional costs.

3.3    Equipment Implications

         None

4       Equality and Good Relations Considerations

4.1    None

5       Recommendation and decision

5.1    To agree to Belfast City Council becoming a partner with World Cafe Europe and other leading European Cities to apply for funding to the European Commission to deliver the World Café project.

5.2    To agree to the use of the Council facilities to host the World Cafe event in Belfast.”

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.