McDonald's helps secure family hub for primary school after gifting premises to help mitigate 'after-effects of Covid'

Harmony Primary School on the Ballygomartin Road in Belfast, has now also employed a family support officer to help serve the needs of its 280 pupils and their parents and carers.

Elaine Johnston, who was appointed principal last March, said she has been “blown away” by the impact the new facility has had on the local community.

She also thanked restaurant chain McDonald’s, without whom there would have been no family support hub and no official opening on June 16.

“There were no mobile classrooms available anywhere in Northern Ireland,” said Elaine.

“A local councillor spotted a portable cabin outside the new McDonald’s restaurant that was being built on the Ballygomartin Road and she made some enquiries about cost etc.

“McDonald’s blew us away, however, by saying they’d gift it to us once they were finished with it.”

Step two involved making the hub child friendly, so Elaine asked a local graffiti artist to decorate it.

It now sits at the top of a hill close to the school and provides a working space for Julie, the school’s new family support officer, whose job it is to bridge the gap between families and school.

“Julie’s from the area; people know her and they’re happy to speak to her,” said Elaine. “Harmony is a community school, in the heart of the community, serving the people of Glencairn - an area that is forgotten about, a lot of the time.”

Elaine said the hub idea was born out of the after-effects of covid on local people.

“Families and parents were feeling isolated,” she said. “There are no shops or coffee shops anywhere around here; nowhere to go to socialise or talk.

“We can’t improve the lives, expectations, and aspirations we have for children if we don’t work with families and parents. We must have a safe place for them to come”.

Not only does the hub provide a gateway to foodbank coupons and gas and electricity vouchers, it’s also a safe space for those seeking help around mental health issues or special needs.

“It has been a massive success,” said Elaine. “Parents are calling in to talk because it’s bridging the barrier."

“From the moment the Franchisee, Paul Connan, and his team at McDonald’s Ballygomartin gifted the unit – the delivery of which was watched by the whole community – Elaine said there’s been a “real buzz about the place,” she added.

“There’s so much more we can do with the hub but we’re still at the stage of building relationships and making parents feel more comfortable.”

PHOTO CAPTION:

(Back, L-R) Julie McCullough, Family Support Officer, Harmony Primary School; Principal Elaine

Johnston; and Paul Connan, franchisee, McDonald’s Ballygomartin

(Front, L-R) Ben McWilliams and Mia Ogah-Sterritt, pupils at Harmony Primary School