Starlings flock to Bridges Family Practice

Bridges Family Practice on Newtownards Road has undergone a major redevelopment to become a state of the art facility thanks to £1 million funding secured by Landmark East (now EastSide Property) from The Northern Ireland Executive’s Social Investment Fund. A vital community asset, Landmark East celebrated the completion of the building today and launched ‘Starlings’, a specially commissioned artwork for the building.

The facility, originally called Bryson Street Surgery, located on an interface, at the corner of Bryson Street and Newtownards Road, was in danger of being closed or relocated because it was in such a poor state. Closing the surgery, with high levels of health inequalities in the area, would have been disastrous for the local community who rely on it.

Thankfully the facility has been reinvigorated, thanks to significant funding, and will positively impact on patients and local residents. The practice now has: interview and treatment rooms, children’s play and waiting area, facilities and access for wheelchair users and minor surgery capabilities.

East Belfast residents will recognise that the new building has retained one feature - its unique, curved wall. In order to maximize the visual impact of the wall  we EastSide Partnership, Landmark East’s parent company, secured £15,000 funding through the Northern Ireland Executive’s Urban Villages Initiative to commission a piece of art for the wall.  The Department for Communities assisted in the administration of the procurement of an artist, design and construction of the artwork.

Deirdre Robb, an artist from local visual art collective Creative Exchange Artists Studio, was selected to design an artwork to make a visual impact. Drawing inspiration from the starling murmuration, which can be seen over the Albertbridge, Deirdre created an artwork entitled ‘Starlings.’

Speaking at today’s event Junior Minister Alastair Ross said:

“I am pleased to be in East Belfast today to officially open the recently redeveloped Bridges Family Practice. The Northern Ireland Executive, through the Social Investment Fund, provided funding of £1million towards the regeneration of this previously run down site creating a modern medical facility. Providing the best possible healthcare is a top priority in our recently published Programme for Government Framework and facilities such as this will ensure the health and well-being of the people of East Belfast for years to come.

“The Social Investment Fund is about empowering the community to identify its own needs and develop proposals to address them.  Bridges Family Practice is a working example of how that innovative approach has delivered.  It is now really making a difference to the local community and I commend all the local people involved in making this project a success.”

Junior Minister, Megan Fearon said: “This £1million investment will transform not only the practice but the life prospects of the people of East Belfast.

“The Executive provided £1million financial support through the Social Investment Fund to make this idea which local people came up with a reality. This is a real example of what can be achieved when communities and government work together.

“This vital facility is an important part of the local landscape and history, and as a direct result of this major investment and redevelopment will be an important part of its shared future.

"The health of our people is of paramount importance and this surgery provides a modern, well equipped facility which I am confident will serve all the people of East Belfast for generations.”

Welcoming the redevelopment of Bridges Family Practice on behalf of the GPs who occupy the building, Dr Christine Hunter said:

"We are very happy to be back on the old site in this fantastic new state of the art facility.  We are committed to continuing to deliver a very high standard of service to everyone in the community. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Landmark East for their dedication and support for the project, Hall Black Douglas for their commitment and attention to detail when designing the building and Deirdre Robb for the beautiful artwork”.

Maurice Kinkead, Chief Executive of Landmark East commented:

"The aim of Landmark East is to contribute to the physical regeneration of east Belfast by buying run- down or derelict properties in disadvantaged areas and bringing them back into use. Bryson Street Surgery was in desperate need of re-development and was a critical project for Landmark East to become involved with. We are delighted that we were able to secure the funding and redevelop the Bridges Family Practice, ensuring a vital community asset, shared space and necessary facility was improved and retained for the people of east Belfast. We are also delighted that Deirdre Robb has created such a wonderful piece of artwork; something for everyone in the local community to enjoy for years to come.”

Deirdre Robb, creator of ‘Starlings’ said:

"I was delighted to be selected to create artwork for the new Bridges Family Practice. The starling murmuration is like a community working together and that resonated with me when thinking about the Practice, a place where the community comes together in shared space. Starlings fly together in unison for a number of reasons- for safety in numbers, to keep warm and exchange information – in a sense they form and protect their community. Community cohesion is an important part of this new building and the notion of the starlings working together can further reinforce this notion”.

Check out the images from the event in the Gallery