PROUD SHERIFF STREET COMMUNITY DESERVES BETTER THAN SHODDY JOURNALISM

The depiction of the Sheriff Street area as 'notorious' and as a 'ghetto' in some of this Sundays newspapers are unworthy descriptions of a proud community that I am proud to serve as a teacher and as a public representative.Stigmatising the area of Sheriff Street is all too easy and disregards the huge efforts being made by youth and community workers to push this community towards a better future.

There are dozens of positive projects ongoing in the area which often go unreported because they aren't considered newsworthy.Activities such as the After Schools Clubs, local soccer, boxing and GAA clubs, disco dancing clubs, Peace Corps, Club 4U teenage discos and the North Wall Women’s Centre prove that this is a community to be proud of.

It is true that the Sheriff Street area has been dogged with social problems through the generations, however the community are facing those problems and are facing the future with confidence.

Labelling our community with negative stereotypes only serves to undermine the good work that is ongoing. It also affects the self-confidence of our young people that we are trying to encourage to be proud of where they are from.