The Housing Executive (HE) has provided almost £20,000 of funding to support grass roots projects that are benefitting tenants across north Belfast.

The funding that is provided through HE's Community Involvement Grants will support a range of initiatives including improved health and wellbeing in local communities, environmental upgrades, intergenerational activities and getting people more digitally engaged.

Belfast Exposed's See Our Voice project has been awarded £4,985 in the latest allocations. See Our Voice uses photography to engage with people in the New Lodge, Duncairn, Cliftonville and Tiger's Bay areas who have been affected by issues such as bereavement, suicide, addiction and conflict related trauma.

Team JVC Hub, a church-based group in Newtownabbey, has received £5,000 for a project called The Real Me I Didn't See. A group of 12 women will take part in life skills coaching sessions and will be taught how to handle tools as part of accredited vocational skills training enabling them to proactively promote positive mental health and wellbeing, encouraging resilience and capacity building among in vulnerable or high-risk groups.

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Digital skills is the focus for the YeHa Project and their Digital Minds initiative has received almost £5,000 to train a dozen 12 to17 year olds. Young people taking part will create digital content such as posters, graphics, videos and music and use them to raise awareness of mental health among young people in the local community.

Finally, Ardoyne Association received £4,999 for community health and wellbeing activities to stimulate and empower local people to meet new people, reduce stress and anxiety and improve the environmental conditions in the neighbourhood.

Gerard Flynn, the Housing Executive's area manager for North Belfast, said: "We are very fortunate to work with many amazing community groups and volunteers who provide vital support for local people.

"They do fantastic work and are the backbone of our communities. Throughout the year they provide support, compassion and dedication and enable our communities to make where they live better for everyone.

"Moreover, community groups meticulously plan activities which help make a real difference to so many lives. We very much appreciate their hard work and we are delighted to be able to support these essential projects."