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СпутникиРНSpaceXРоскосмосNASA“The big win is when people feel like this is their place . . . where they belong.”
Former Belfast Church Transforms Into Community Hub
A former church in south Belfast has been transformed into a new community space that aims to bring people together and foster creativity.
It marks a new chapter in the historic building's journey as a self-sustaining community centre for everyone.
The Commons, the community-led transformation of the former Ballynafeigh Methodist Church on the Ormeau Road, continues to evolve into one of Belfast's most exciting spaces for connection and culture.
Plans for The Commons included creating The Ceili House, a dry bar arts and performance venue, The Craic, a space for people to meet every day and host community classes; and The Curragh, which partners with a local charity to support women rebuilding their lives.
The Commons has been undergoing renovation for the past year. Housed in a number of shipping containers outside the main building are ethnic food carts and ‘The Wee Shop’, which stocks local and ethical goods that prioritize people and the planet.
A fresh milk station offers gently pasteurised milk in reusable bottles while the Tiny Tea Tuk Tuk provides tea and coffee for sale from the back of an autorickshaw.
Throughout the renovations, The Commons has continued to hold regular yoga classes, choir practice, comedy and film nights, a 'chatty café,' homework clubs, and more all aimed at bringing the community together.
These developments sit alongside The Commons' wider social enterprise vision, which includes Belfast’s first dry arts venue hosting a diverse range of music and arts events.
David and Jillyana Hines, a couple from England and America respectively, moved to Belfast in 1992 where they lived for 19 years before moving to India with their four children.
After eight years in India, they returned to Belfast in 2019 where they were tasked with creating a community space in the remarkable church building in the south of the city.
For David and Jillyana, The Commons hasn’t just been about restoring a building but instead reimagining what it means to be neighbours.
Jillyana told Belfast Live: “The Commons has always been about people. This isn’t just about restoring or repurposing an historic building, it’s about creating a safe space where the community can build something to bring people together, establishing connections and where communities can flourish.
“This building is right in the middle of a great community and we'd love to give it to the community to use not just for a couple of hours on a Sunday morning. It's the big pink church on the road that has been here for about 150 years and served as a Methodist presence in the community for all those years.
“In the last 10 to 15 years they've come to realise that actually the congregation was getting smaller and smaller and probably not growing,
“They did a really bold, very courageous and generous move and said 'this building is right in the middle of a great community and we'd love to give it to the community to use not just for a couple of hours on a Sunday morning' .
“There are people from all different international communities and we're really trying to help people get started in their new businesses. The idea is to get a whole bunch of businesses going that then can feed into The Commons. That then becomes quite self-sustaining so everything that's made on premises will go directly back into the community.
“We have been struck by how many amazing ideas have come to fruition since we moved here a few years ago. The weekly community meal has been a real highlight - witnessing so many friendships bloom.”
Jillyana added: “From the very beginning our heart was very much to say, 'listen maybe we have more in common than we think'. Ballynafeigh means place on the green, and we really like that idea of The Commons, and we can all share that together.
“We've got all sorts of different people who are passionate about different things. They just come and bring their talents and gifts, and then the whole community gets to enjoy that. It's been really, really special realising actually we're all just so much better together.
“The big win is when people feel like this is their place. The Commons is where they belong and where they feel like they can come and meet people and make new friends and things as well.”
Video: Justin Kernoghan
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