About |

Our Story

Links Time Line

2004 Established by Emmanuel Church to develop and expand community support provision within the Lurgan/Craigavon area.
2005 Formalised as a limited company with charitable status.
2006 Phase 1 of Underground completed.
2007 Youth Work and Counselling Service established.
2009 Underground building completed 20th January 2009.

Our Purpose

We want to influence positive change on the local community of Lurgan and Craigavon. The region remains one of the most sectarian and deeply divided and volatile areas in Northern Ireland.

• We want to continue to make a difference in the lives of young people who are socially excluded and marginalised through detached street work and centre based programmes and activities; we actively look for imaginative and different ways to bring young people together, and to demonstrate alternatives to negative and prejudiced/sectarian behaviours.
• We want to develop the use of the Underground (our centre) for general community use as a large neutral venue.
• We want to develop the Links Counselling Service as a professional counselling service that is accessible to everyone.

Links has raised the necessary funding to finish the Underground which was completed and opened in January 2009. The Underground serves as a base for all Links activities and provides a large policically neutral space in the centre of Lurgan. It is the unique location of the Underground that facilitates our cross community work bringing the Protestant and Catholic sides of the community together in a shared space.

Our aims

• Serve as a focal point in the community, helping promote a more co-ordinated approach to community development.
• Provide a range of structured programmes and services that encourage individuals in their personal development and empower them in their life choices.
• Provide a safe environment for the people of our community where they are offered support, friendship and a sense of belonging.
• Complement and support the education system by providing a facility, and services that will support, train and mentor young people from the local schools, especially and in particular those at risk of educational exclusion.
• Take advantage of the neutrality of the venue by bringing people from both sides of the community together for structured cross community programmes.
• Provide an additional resource for use by partner organisations.

Our Mission and Values

Our vision statement:

"Links Limited bringing new hope to life in our community."

Our mission statement:

"Links Limited seeks to practically represent God's love for local community. Through a range of community based programmes and activities, Links will engage, enable, equip and empower people in practical and personal ways."

In fulfilling its mission, we employ the following values for users, staff and volunteers:

• People centred - we will treat people equally and enable them to reach their full potential.
• Professionalism - In an effort to achieve best practice, we will be open to improvement through feedback from users, staff and volunteers.
• Accountability - we will be open, honest and transparent to users, staff and other partner organisations .
• Innovative - we will work in partnership with each other and other partner organisations and be open to new ideas.

• Summer Intervention programme, group away to Londonderry/Derry
• We will be updating our website with much more content shortly. Stay tuned
• Happy new year to all staff and everyone we work with!