Belfast City Centre Streetwork
Detached youth work is effectively engaging with young people on the streets in places where they chose to congregate. It is approaching young people on their own time and space. It is building positive relationships to identify their issues toaddress their needs.
Streetworkers aim to meet young people who are not accessing youth services. Some of these young people may need some kind of help but do not know where to find it. Other young people may want to be involved in community or youth activities but don't know where to find info about them. Streetworkers help to bridge those gaps by actually taking their service out and about where young people hang out.
Download Streetwork Flyer
Summer Camps
When we think of our youth most of us think of a summer that was the best of our lives; good weather, good friends, and adventure - a time that stands out. With the CfY Summer Camps we wanted to move beyond the ordinary, to create an opportunity for young people that could give them the best summer of their lives or the best thing they ever did.The Summer programme is where we bring together all that is best about our practice, incorporating adventure learning, arts, citizenship, survival and informal education. The ethos of the camps are that they're young-person centred. Although staff will lead the programme, this is about giving young people the the opportunity to learn and develop in a different environment in a positive and meaningful experience, to choose their own challenges instead of having challenges imposed on them.
The camp is staffed by fully qualified youth development workers and fully qualified outdoor instructors and is supported by a bank of young leaders who were former participants and who have undergone recent specific camp training.
Summer Camps are very popular and tend to be block-booked by community groups and sell out early. If you have a group that might be interested please contact us around Easter time to register your interest.
Volunteers and Apprenticeships
The best way to find talented individuals is to grow it at home...Today's participants evolve into tomorrow's community leaders. Young participants of CfY programmes who have shown commitment and enthusiasm are invited into one of several routes into leadership...
1. Steering Group: The steering group is made up of young participants who want to get more involved in Challenge for Youth. The group meets once at week to explore leadership themes and issues and develop their own project. The group has been discussing a drop-in/information point for our vacant shop front premises and has recently achieved a modest grant to start to move this project forward. Last December some of the members were interviewed on BBC Newsline.
2. Defining Leadership: The Defining Leadership Programme will look at how Leadership affects our lives whether it is on the street, in work, in school or playing on a team. The programme aims to help young people define leadership and how it fits into the world they live in.
3. Summer Camp Volunteers: This has to be the most popular event of the year. Former participants of summer camps volunteer as staff at the camps, but they must participate in leadership training and rise to the challenge of delivering group activities to new faces during the camp. As a thank you the volunteers have their own camp and celebration event at the end of the summer camp season.
4. The RANK-funded GAP scheme: Aimed at school leavers who have not entered higher education, the RANK-funded GAP scheme gives 6-9 months invaluable experience of working full-time with Challenge for Youth. Many of our GAP volunteers have gone on to complete the diploma/degree in youth and community work. Others have developed a keen idea of what they want to do and moved away to begin university degress or follow their career paths. The Gap volunteers offer a essential perspective on young leadership and a mentor relationship with younger participants. You can read about one of our former GAP scheme volunteers on the RANK website.