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Belfast Healthy Cities is offering an annual bursary throughout WHO European Healthy Cities Phase VI (2014-2019). It will allow individuals working in the field of health and wellbeing, including healthy urban planning and design, to visit another WHO European Healthy City or National Network to study their approach to addressing a key issue relating to health inequalities.

The bursary is open to applicants living or working in Belfast from all sectors including community, voluntary, public and business sectors.

The 2015 bursary proved a popular and competitive process. Reflecting the quality of proposals submitted, it was awarded jointly to Stephanie Thompson, South Belfast Partnership, who studied drug and alcohol policy in Glasgow and Jelena Buick, Belfast City Council who travelled to Barcelona to examine innovative approaches to addressing food and fuel poverty. Both award holders presented their findings at the Belfast Healthy Cities Annual General Meeting in February 2015.

Culture Minister Carál Ní Chuilín welcomed participants to Shaping Places for Healthy Lives , which examined how the places we live in shape our lives, our health and our wellbeing. Other speakers included, Leo Kosonen, former Chief Planner of Kuopio (Finland), Sandy Robinson, Principal Architect of the Scottish Government and Phil Williams, Director of Planning and Place, Belfast City Council. Presentations from the seminar, which was organised in partnership with the Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) are now available.

Booking is now open for Shaping Places for Healthy Lives on Wednesday 16 December

This free seminar is an opportunity to explore how place making can effectively support health and wellbeing, and how urban design can help create healthy places. It is is targeted at policy and decision makers in sectors including local government, health and regeneration, but will also be of interest to architects and designers across sectors.