Youth service provision is the focus of community action in Lisburn
Posted on Tue 27 September 2011
Case Study: Colin Neighbourhood Partnership Reach Out Youth Project, awarded £122,500
The project was developed to work with and engage 240 ‘hard to reach’ young people in the Fair Share Trust Lisburn ward in Northern Ireland with a population of 25 thousand people, 50% of whom are between 5 and 25 years of age, in an area of multiple social deprivation. A substantial number of young people engaged in anti social and criminal behaviour causing marginalisation.
The proposal sought to address some of the deficits in youth service provision after wide consultation with families, Community Restorative justice, Probation, Social Services, Youth Justice and Education. It sought to work complimentarily with all of the above agencies to develop a model of intervention that could be duplicated.
The need for the project arose from the Neighbourhood Regeneration action plans which identified gaps in the services to young people. The project worked collaboratively to build capacity among youth workers, young people and volunteers by offering a range of opportunities to build skills, access training opportunities, and research and develop outreach work.
Social capital was built by supporting local job creation, developing skills and knowledge, and extending this type of detached work with young people. The formation of a Youth Forum helped keep the focus on the needs of young people and helped lobby for increased resources. Through focused youth programmes young people participated in programmes based at centres or engaged on the street and went on to complete personal development programmes. Some were redirected to other appropriate services: while some were signposted to further training, volunteering or job opportunities.
Added value to this programme was the secondment of a programme co-ordinator paid for by The Education & Library Board Youth Services and the provision of shelter cum caravan for young people at serious risk especially at night. In addition the Education & Library Board was convinced of the necessity for outreach work and changed policy to enable it.
Back to top