Footprints Women’s Centre situated in West Belfast, has provided services for women within the Colin Neighbourhood, since 1991. It’s mission statement is, ‘To enable women and children to grow to ensure their voices are heard and that they take their rightful place in a just and equal society.’

Footprints Catering Services has provided quality, affordable food at Footprints Women’s Centre and in the Colin Community since 1997.  It also promotes healthy eating, combining diet and nutrition advice with cookery skills classes for families.

Footprints Catering Services has twice been awarded 5/5 ‘Scores on the Doors’ since its introduction by Lisburn Environmental Health.  Footprints has achieved an ‘Eat Safe’ Award for promoting excellence in Food Hygiene and a Hospitality Assured Award in 2004.

Having this long standing beleif in the health and wellbeing of the Colin community has led to the pursuit of the launch of ‘Building a Transition Community’ initiative. The initiative was launched 26th March 2010 and involves the development of the grounds around the centre, to facilitate the introduction of a fruit and vegetable garden. The growth and planting of the fruit and vegetables aims to involve local residents as volunteers with the guidance and direction of a local gardener.

This initiative has five main objectives:

To lead and inspire individuals involved in the initiative to become aware and in touch with the environment, through their own enjoyment and understanding. To develop food growing skills within the Colin community, which can be continued and spread to home life. To develop and maintain a supply of ‘home’ grown, fresh fruit and vegetables for use in the centre’s own catering services. To make available to the Colin Neighbourhood, any surplus fruit and vegetables. And finally, to increase and improve the physical activity, nutritional status and thus the mental well being of participants within the initiative.