| Receiving
£602,623 from the New Opportunities Fund, the SELB Youth
Service is running five initiatives involving pupils in various
age groups ranging from 11 to 16.
Martin Fahy, SELB Area Youth Officer and programme co-ordinator,
said: “The aim of the programme is to engage with young
people who are facing various challenges in education and
introduce them to new experiences.
“Three of the activities are based in schools and two
outside of school,” said Mr Fahy. “These include
helping pupils in the move from primary to post-primary school
and students in the early years at their new schools.
“Outdoor education is among the new experiences pupils
are introduced to, helping them develop their personal skills
and ability to work in a team.
“The two parts of the programme organised outside school
are a young people’s conference and a ‘Fame Academy’
style residential arts programme.
“A very successful conference - ‘Visions 4 2 Moro’
- was organised by young people from the SELB area and held
at Corrymeela in July 2003 with 100 taking part. Similar events
are envisaged for this summer and in 2005. The views of young
people expressed at these events are made known to the SELB
and other organisations which work with them.
“Two further summer arts programmes are also expected
to take place similar to the successful dance and drums week-long
residential at Loughry College in August 2003.
“Already the Activities for Young People Programme has
shown that partnerships between statutory bodies and schools
working with young people do bear fruit. The SELB Youth Service
is looking forward to the continuation of the programme over
the next two years where it will have the most effective impact
and be most successful from a young person’s perspective.”
SELB chief executive Helen McClenaghan paid tribute to the
Board’s Youth Service team for delivering the programme
and thanked the New Opportunities Fund for its support.
Mrs McClenaghan said: “Listening to the presentations
made by some of the young people who have taken part in the
programme it is encouraging to hear that they feel a greater
sense of inclusion in education. The young people are to be
commended for the way in which they have developed their skills
and confidence, which will have a positive impact on their
education.”
Breidge Gadd, Northern Ireland Board member of the New Opportunities
Fund said: “I am delighted that the New Opportunities
Fund was able to fund this exciting and innovative programme.
It is particularly rewarding to see good cause lottery funding
targeted so effectively in providing these opportunities for
young people and indeed impressive to see their commitment
and the standards that they can achieve.
“I would like to congratulate everyone involved, especially
the young people themselves, the SELB and their partners for
developing such successful projects.” |
