Work begins on development of Sense Hub Belfast – a thriving community space for disabled people

• Disability charity Sense has announced that work has begun to develop its new hub, Sense Hub Belfast, due to open in Spring 2025.
• Sense Hub Belfast will become a thriving community space for people with complex disabilities, and their families, to meet, learn and try new things.
• Sense ambassador, Ibe Sesay, joined MLAs and some of the people the charity supports to launch the work and said: “The centre is so needed in our community.”

1 October 2024 – Work has begun on the development of Sense Hub Belfast, a major new centre in Belfast run by disability charity Sense. The centre, when it opens in Spring 2025, will offer specialist support and services to people with complex disabilities and their families.

Sense service users, Jamie and Fionn, joined Sense ambassadors Ibe Sesay and Ryan Bloomer, and Members of the Legislative Assembly, Robbie Butler and Kate Nicholls, at the site to mark the beginning of the development of the site.

Sense will redevelop the Belfast Resource Centre on Annadale Avenue, previously run by the MS Society. Under the new setup, MS Society will continue to offer services from the site when it reopens.

Sense Hub Belfast will offer a range of commissioned and charitably funded services to support children and adults with complex disabilities. This will include a new adult day centre, arts, sports and wellbeing activities, and support for disabled children aged 12 and under.

There are approximately 52,000 people with complex disabilities living in Northern Ireland, with one in five based in Belfast. Sense Hub Belfast will support over a thousand people by 2026.

Sense, which celebrates its 70th birthday next year, hopes the new hub will help people with complex disabilities in Northern Ireland to meet and socialise with people and learn new skills. According to Sense research*, more than one third (thirty one per cent) of people with complex disabilities want to build skills and more than one quarter (twenty seven per cent) want to develop new relationships.

Martin Walls, Head of Operations in Northern Ireland, said:

“Sense has been supporting people with complex disabilities, including those who are deafblind, in Northern Ireland for over 30 years. We’ve been told previously that Sense is Northern Ireland’s best kept secret, but Sense Hub Belfast will change that

“Sense Hub Belfast will enable us to reach more people in a state of the art, accessible centre where disabled people and their families can meet and share new experiences, supported a team of specialist staff.

“We’re really excited for works on site to start and to see our new centre start to take shape. We’re extremely grateful for the support of our ambassadors and local MLA’s for championing our work and are looking forward to sharing more as progress continues.”

Ibe Sesay, Q Radio presenter and Sense Northern Ireland ambassador, said:

“I’m so thrilled to be asked to be an ambassador for Sense in Northern Ireland. I’m proud to come on board at such an exciting time for the charity as work begins on Sense Hub Belfast.

“I have a background in providing care for disabled people and so I know the barriers that they face in our community all too well.

“This centre is going to be so important. The new services will make such a difference to the lives of disabled people that live here, and their families.”

For more information:

Please email [email protected] or call 0203 833 0611.