About Us

Kilcooley Women’s Centre, is the leading women’s organisation in Ards and North Down.  KWC has bases in the Kilcooley Estate in Bangor with training and the regional office sites in Balloo.  Within Bangor City Centre the organisation delivers programmes on Main Street.  The organisation has has provided services for women in North Down since 1995. The Women’s Centre is a key strategic player in advancing gender equality and works collaboratively with other agencies towards improved outcomes for all women, children and families and for those who are facing challenging times in their lives, including poverty and disadvantage.  

The Centre has been acknowledged as a valuable asset within the community and has developed a diverse range of services to meet the identified needs of women, children and their families living within the Kilcooley and wider Ards North Down area.  Local women are involved in the staffing and management of the centre.  Kilcooley Womens Centre is a key provider for training, health awareness and wellbeing, play development, childcare and young women’s activities and leads on community based education in the area. 

KWC provides an early intervention approach to ending violence against women and girls and raising awareness on issues including coercive control.

The Centre offers a welcoming environment, where local women can engage in a wide portfolio of activities, including training and education,  employability skills, health and wellbeing programs, peace and reconciliation activities, good relations, arts, heritage and culture programs and  personal development programs to build skills, confidence and self esteem to enable all women to reach their full potential.  

The centre links with 14 regional women’s centres in Northern Ireland and co-operates with other regional, national and European partners, collaborating on a global scale.  International partners include collaboration with women’s organisations across Europe including Italy, Ireland, The Netherlands, Bulgaria, Germany, Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Slovakia,Turkey, Belgium and Poland. This not only enables staff training opportunities, learner exchange programmes, knowledge exchange and transfer of innovation.