Project Environment

Socio-Economic Conditions

Derry City Council Area
Youth provision in the Derry City area has a long and proud history. It’s innovation and often dynamic response to many social and political issues, particularly, during the height of "The Troubles" is a testament to the commitment and dedication of the many practitioners, paid and unpaid, who tried to make a difference. However, like any large town or city, youth provision is contextualised and operates within the realms of political and socio-economic reality. Apart from the impact "The Troubles", the city as is highlighted by the creation of the recent urban regeneration company, ILEX, Derry has suffered from mass under-investment. It’s estimated that the city needs £200 million! In order to understand much of the challenge we face we need first of all to address some of the problems and issues that persist.

The Population in the Derry City Council area is 106,000 and has grown by 24.6% between 1971 and 1998 as compared with the NI average of 9.9%. It also has a population density of 275 per square kilometre compared with the Northern Ireland average of 188. It has a very young population with just under 34,000 being aged under 18. Almost 16,000 are aged between 10 and 17. This is again above the NI average, i.e., 24% aged under 14 compared with 30% in the Shantallow area. The unemployment rate is 11% compared with Northern Ireland average of 5% (DETI). Two thirds will be unemployed for up to one year whilst the final third will be unemployed for over 1 year. According to the "Noble" Index, Derry is the third most deprived area.

Greater Shantallow Area
The population of the Greater Shantallow Area is around 43,000 (40% of the population of Derry). Peripheral to the main Greater Shantallow area, a network of strategic roads dissects this community whilst a lack of on-estate facilities and low car ownership increases the sense of isolation. Physically the area is too open and lacks definition. Since 1971 the population of the Greater Shantallow Area has risen by over two thirds. It has a very high proportion of young people with 43% of the population under the age of 17 and almost 60% of households under the age of 25. According to NISRA, statistics available for the 1999/2000 period showed that the Greater Shantallow area has a population of 7613 under the age of 18 of which 3560 are aged between 10 and 17.

The average household size is 6, well above the average sizes for both the DCC area (3.4) and Northern Ireland (2.9). In fact 74% of 2,053 local households (Galliagh) contain 6 or more persons compared with a NI average of just 26%.

The Shantallow area is composed of 5 electoral wards, Shantallow East, Shantallow West, Carnhill, Culmore, and Pennyburn. Shantallow West, East and Carnhill are in the top 10% Multiple Deprivation Indices as determined by Robson. Shantallow East and West is also in the top 3% of electoral wards for Income Deprivation whilst Carnhill was in the top 8%. All three figured in the top 6% for education deprivation and again top 8% for health deprivation. Shantallow East was first for Child Poverty deprivation. Indicators of need for these wards also showed there were 2386 lone parents on welfare benefits whilst upwards of 5000 dependants in receipt of Welfare Benefits and Family Credit. Eighty-seven per-cent of tenants are in receipt of Housing Benefit.

The area is also particularly deprived and impoverished in terms of employment opportunities displaying high levels of sustained long-term unemployment both in comparison with the Derry City Council area and the wider Northern Ireland community with figures for long-term unemployed put at 55.59%. The combined effects of long term unemployment, poverty and the impact of 30 years of political conflict have all had a detrimental effect on the social, economic and physical fabric of the area.

Shantallow West
Off the streets itself is located in Shantallow West, i.e., Galliagh, an area with an estimated population of 10,000. In 2001 a Community Safety Audit carried out in the Galliagh area revealed that the greatest concerns expressed among residents were anti-social behaviour by young people (75.2%); this included unsupervised children, young people hanging around the street corners (71.6%), and underage drinking (68.7%), verbal abuse from young people, litter, vandalism (56.2%), noise, quads and roaming dogs, use of drugs, alcohol abuse, threatening or actual assault, breakins, joyriding (60.9%), graffiti (51.6%).

A most recent phenomena not restricted solely to Galliagh but has become apparent in many areas across Northern Ireland is the level of abuse and attacks aimed at the emergency services. Between September ’99 and November 2000 there were a total of 360 call outs for fire service. This included 35 malicious false alarms and to deal with 57 car fires. Often when the fire services are called out they are engaged by young people throwing stones, attempting to damage equipment and occasionally attacking fire fighters.

For many residents there is great sense of pride in their community built up over many years but in recent times this has been tested immensely, so much so in fact, that at the time of the audit 9.7% of residents had asked for a transfer or their tenancy was terminated. It’s generally accepted within the Shantallow area that boredom and the lack of facilities for young people is a contributing factor to much of the anti-social behaviour within the area and most particularly in the immediate Galliagh area. This is backed up in the Community Safety Audit when over 90% of those surveyed said that services for children and young people were inadequate. There is also a perception among young people that the range of services currently available are not attractive and are inclined to reinforce the sense of alienation that young people feel by imposing too many rules and regulations.