Staff:
Youth workers:
Eddie Wallace and Darren O’Reilly (Centre based);
Deidre McMahon (Detached);

Times: There are four evenings per week of youth provision both centre based and detached.

Activities:

The youth programme works with young people aged 12-21 drawn from the two neighbouring polarised communities. Many of the young people are marginalised and leave school with no academic qualifications or no positive vision for the future. We seek to address with young people both at an individual level and group level the issues that are involved with living in an area of such a high level of social disadvantage in terms of family dysfunction, low employment, high dependency on drugs and alcohol, low self esteem, low educational achievement.

The programme also addresses the legacy of the political conflict exploring sectarianism, exploring and working towards an understanding of diversity. The programme teaches practical skills in non-violence to help address more constructively the differences that exist within the local community. This work is both centre based and detached.

Contact:

• Deirdre Mc Mahon fsyouth@btconnect.com
  

Centre Based Youth Programme

One of the most recent changes has been to the physical building, with the development of a computer suite and offices, as well as improved social space in the youth centre.

Whilst the building work was taking place to the youth centre, we operated a restricted programme in the community space within Forthspring, as well as local parks when weather permitted. During this transition period, it was difficult to keep young people’s interest, as the facilities within the centre were limited. Fortunately, the majority of the young people have stayed with us, and the impact of the building work has helped increase the numbers we can work with.

The Summer Programme for 2005 was residential based. Each young person who attended the centre was offered the opportunity to participate in a week-long residential. Residential programmes focussed heavily on personal and social development through outward bound activities. Activities gave many young people the opportunity to challenge their fears, while developing their skills and self confidence.

For the programme team, work during this period was very intense, but provided an excellent opportunity for the staff and volunteers to develop relationships and trust with the young people.

In early September the centre based and detached teams focussed on diversionary work with young people around the re-scheduled Whiterock Parade. Our aim was to provide an alternative programme that would detract young people away from the potential of violence in the area. Tension was very high, and many parents welcomed the fact that we were providing an alternative activity for their children. We took a group of young people to Castlewellan Forest Park, where they had the opportunity to take part in a fun day which included bouldering, climbing, canoeing, orienteering and getting lost in the Peace Maze.

In the period September – January 05, the youth programme went through a time of growth and change. With the centre renovations finished, the number of young people using the centre doubled, especially membership from the Woodvale community and further a field. With the centre often at capacity, it was an opportunity to recruit new groups to do more focussed work. We also had a staff change. Keli Harrington secured a full time job, and left her part-time post in the youth team. We would like say a big thank you to Keli for all her hard work over the past few years. We also welcome Deirdre Mc Mahon, a former volunteer in the detached project, who took up the Part-time Youth Worker post in October.

From January – April, the programme has changed and developed further. The drop-in provision has been suspended, and we are now concentrating on group work and group development which will focus on Community Relations and Non-Violence work. We are developing and delivering programmes which aim to give the young people the necessary skill base to thrive and participate in a diverse and peaceful society. This change in focus has been challenging for of the many young people as they enjoyed the social aspect of the drop-in. However, we have tried to be creative in the development and delivery of the programmes, ensuring that we are meeting as many of the young people’s needs as possible.

The past year has been a time of development within the centre based programme, both the physical building and the programme itself. These changes have been positive and beneficial to all of the young people involved with the centre. Although we have achieved a lot over the last year, there is still much to do in 2006 and beyond.

Detached Youth Programme

This programme involves a team of Forthspring youth work volunteers and the detached youth worker going onto the streets and engaging with young people in the local area in meaningful relationships and group work. The team is currently operating four nights per week in both street based work and group work.

The work of this programme has different stages and takes different forms. Initially, young people are engaged through on the street contact. This relationship develops through regular contact, and the groups of young people are given the opportunity to engage in group work with the team. This group work is designed in consultation with the young people, including materials around identity and non-violence. In good weather this group work is carried out on the streets, providing young people with meaningful activity ideas. Cross community group work happens in the Forthspring centre itself.

In the last year the detached team has engaged with ten different groups of young people in group work, and are currently working with six groups from both the Woodvale and Springfield communities. Four of these six groups are currently engaged in cross community group work, which means that the team currently works with over 100 young people a week, and are developing strong relationships with young people in both communities. In a year when the communities have experienced heightened tension and intercommunity violence, this has been both difficult and rewarding. The team has engaged many of the young people in the midst of this violence or in its aftermath.

The first detached youth work summer programme was a great success, with young people engaged in street activities and weeks of fun in the park. We had one cross community residential, facilitated by Challenge for Youth in July, which was a rewarding experience for young people who had never undertaken any work with members of the ‘other’ community.

The greatest success in the year has been the cross community contact and group work between groups of young people who have been involved in interface violence. These groups have come together since the violence in September, in the days after the Whiterock Parade. While this work has often been challenging for them, relationships have been developed and continue to be developed with the support of the detached team.

The detached youth work programme continues to grow. This summer a full programme of activity for all communities is planned, with street games, summer schemes and residentials taking place throughout July and August.