The Belfast Resource Centre will be transformed into Sense Hub Belfast, “a vibrant community space where people with complex disabilities and their families can meet, learn and try new things”.
Under this plan, the MS Society will continue to provide services to people with multiple sclerosis at the facility.
Sense has secured investment of around £500,000 from trusts and foundations to refurbish the centre and aims to help more than 1,000 people by 2026.
The focus of the new site will be tackling the issue of loneliness for people with disabilities.
A survey by Sense found that more than two-thirds of disabled people in Northern Ireland feel lonely, and four in five say they have difficulty socialising.
There are 52,000 people with complex disabilities in Northern Ireland, one in five of whom live in Belfast.
The MS Society has been running a center in the city since 1998.
Sense chief executive Richard Kramer said the charity aims to create “an inclusive and dynamic centre where disabled people and their families can meet and share new experiences, supported by specialist staff”.
“Located at the heart of the community, with access to local shops, outdoor spaces, pubs and cafes, the hub will hopefully have a wider impact, bringing disabled and able-bodied people together and reducing feelings of loneliness,” he said.
“We are really pleased to be working with the MS Society, who will continue to provide services from this facility for people living with MS, and we look forward to working with them to maximise our reach into the local community.”
Stewart Finn, president of the MS Society Northern Ireland branch, added: “The centre will be thoroughly refurbished to create a contemporary and special space that both communities can use and enjoy for years to come.”
“We are pleased that services and activities such as counselling, Pilates, yoga and physiotherapy will continue as usual as we know how important it is for people living with MS.”