Annual Review 2015
Welcome I am very pleased to present the 2015 Annual Review of the YMCA in Ireland. The document provides an overview of the work of 19 YMCAs in the Republic and Northern Ireland. What you will see in the following pages illustrates the work of staff and volunteers in local communities across the island. Each association provides a different range of programmes based on the needs of the community they serve. These relate to our core priorities of youth development, healthy living and community engagement and are inspired by a Christian ethos that recognises the uniqueness and worth of every individual. We benefit from our place in a global YMCA movement and the last year has provided opportunities to engage with like minded groups from the UK, Europe and further afield. Despite the economic uncertainty of the past year we have been able to continue the majority of our local initiatives. More than this we have seen significant development with new programmes responding to need, greater collaboration to share resources and new buildings to accommodate our work. We have also strengthened our processes to ensure that our services are more accountable and safe for our staff and participants. I am particularly delighted with the progress shown by YMCAs working collaboratively on programmes and joint events, This was very evident when we held our YMCA Week celebrations in June when 18 events were held across the island linking the Associations and the international movement in Zambia, Germany, Kosovo, Scotland and USA. I am proud of what we are achieving with young people, families and communities and I am grateful to those individuals and bodies that support our work. I am looking forward to the coming year for the YMCA in Ireland and as you read this report I hope you will share my excitement.
Campbell Killick President
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STEP YMCA Support, Training and Enterprise Programme ( STEP) is a year long programme which works with young people in the 17-25 age group who are unemployed and who have left formal education with few or no qualifications. It aims to help them discover a career path while developing soft skills in areas such as communications and personal development. In using a youth-work methodology it also helps address personal and other obstacles which may hinder the young person achieve their full potential. It uses an experiential approach to creating learning situations which helps the young person discover their own personal learning style. Career Planning and Work Experience components and two work placements help the young person develop a career path and sample different types of work environments. YMCA STEP offers a full level 4 QQI qualification in Employment Skills or General Learning as well as a full ECDL certificate.
Star. Progression in literacy and numeracy has also been measured using WRAT 4 tests. These and other evaluation tools are linked to the STEP Impact map and help to assess the degree to which the core objectives are met ie to assist learners to progress into employment or further education; to provide a certified QQI/FETAC programme at Level 4 in Employment Skills or General Learning; to provide a range of activities that build/promote selfconfidence/resilience and to promote active citizenship.
In relation to progression rates during the year, approximately 70% of learners moved either into employment or further training, of which 25% moved directly into employment.
The programme is based in Donegal, Dublin, Ballincollig, Cobh and Cork YMCAs. The programme is funded by the Department of Education & Skills under the Early School Leavers provision. Over recent years there has been considerable work done to help track soft outcomes for learners by using the Outcomes
A new introduction during the year was a telephone survey of all those who had finished the course. Over 90% of those surveyed reported that the programme had made a difference in getting them back into work or into training. The survey also showed an encouraging increase in the level of engagement with community, sports or music groups after completing the course, suggesting that the objective to increase
levels of active citizenship among young people is being realised. A new innovation during the year was the introduction of Google Classroom, an on-line learning management system being used in all centres. This is a tool that is designed to help trainers collect assignments electronically by creating on-line folders for each learner. Alongside making the task of preparing several hundred portfolios across five centres much easier than collating paper based portfolios, it also means that learners who progress onto FE colleges, where such systems are now well established, are familiar with this interface. The experience to date of learners has been very positive.
“STEP has benefited me in many ways. I have become more skilled in the use of computer programmes…...I have also been given a boost in confidence when searching for work due to the work placements we were doing during the course. I can now work far better as part of a team because of doing so many collaborative projects with fellow trainees.” å
PAKT PAKT is a community based family support programme. It involves children aged 6 – 16 and their families in a range of developmental activities carried out both separately and together. PAKT aims to provide quality interventions that promote resiliency among young people, including social competence, self-efficacy, physical well-being and spirituality.
“PAKT has given us days out as a family unit due to the fact that my son's dad and I are separated. We come together to join in on the family days hence giving my son a feeling of family togetherness.”
Alongside the usual children's, parents and family activities that were provided during the year there were some innovations as well including the reintroduction of a summer scheme in Ballincollig and Cobh PAKTs for the first time in a number of years with the support of junior leaders; the completion of a colourful community mural in Bantry; integration of children with learning difficulties such as autism in a number of projects and the launch of a community choir in McUilliam (Tallaght).
PAKT differs from many other youth work interventions or children’s activities in that the whole family and not just the child is involved. PAKT also promotes positive parenting attributes that are associated with resilient young people, including relationships that are characterised by warmth and boundary setting. PAKT currently operates programmes in Dublin City, Brookfield, McUilliam (Tallaght), Ballincollig, Bantry, Cobh and Carrickfergus YMCAs. Work was completed during the year which saw the foundations laid for a new programme in Crumlin ( Dublin).
“Dartboard” activity that allows the children to give feedback and reflection at the end of each term; an end of year evaluation form which is completed by parents and weekly on-line recording of reflections by staff/volunteers. Over the course of the past two years a Children’s Assessment Tool has been developed which has attempted to measure the outcomes for children among the four PAKT themes of social competence, physical well-being, spirituality, and participation. This allowed staff to compared the results between children in their first year of PAKT and children in subsequent years. The findings showed that while there was statistically significant improvement, there were some areas of the methodology that needed to be made more robust. Through consultation with NUI Galway, a new standardised measure called the “children’s self perception of social competence tool” has been introduced. This tool will provide more accurate information on the development of children through the programme.
“They brought me and my family properly together. We do things together as a family which we never did before”
In order to ensure that outcomes are recorded for the young people and their families, a number of different approaches have been developed and integrated into the programme. These include an interactive 2
International Germany, France, Italy, Moldova, Russia, New Zealand have been able to bring new dimensions to local programmes in communities throughout the island. As a result of belonging to an international movement, the YMCA in Ireland is committed to ensuring that it makes the most of these global links at every level of the organisation. Consequently there have been many reflections of this in its work over the course of the past year.
The three year partnership with Y CARE International, YMCA Sweden and YMCA Zambia which focused on the Lusaka Street Children Project came to a conclusion during the year. This project which was partly funded by Irish Aid with co-financing from YMCA Ireland and YMCA Sweden aimed at providing street children with regular meals, access to medical care and supports to help them integrate back to their families or into school. As this was the first time YMCA Ireland was involved in a partnership of this kind there was a lot of learning involved and it is hoped that the partnership can continue, though with a different focus. One of the many tangible outcomes from the project was the personal links that were established between staff/volunteers and young people in Ireland with peer educators, staff and young people in Lusaka thanks particularly to skype calls.
A new international partnership was established , funded by Erasmus+ which saw young leaders from YMCAs in Ireland, Kosovo and England develop a leadership programme that focused on principles and values of youth work practice, and the role of youth work in peace-building. This has allowed five young leaders from Ireland join with their peers from the other partner countries in a series of exchanges and shared learning experiences. Another expression of belonging to an international movement is the number of YMCAs who host international volunteers either through the European Voluntary Service programme or through bilateral partnerships. This has meant that young people from
This allowed real insights into each other’s realities and it was fitting that one of the highlights of YMCA Week was the way in which colleagues from the Zambian YMCA movement was able to join on-line with some of the events organised. It is hoped that in any future collaboration, linkages between young leaders in both countries can be developed as YMCA Ireland has much it can learn from the Zambian experience in this area. “I’m really glad that I got this opportunity. I learned a lot this week, not just from our mentors but from my friends too. I didn’t realise that we were all so passionate about global justice issues.” It helped make me realise that we can all make a huge difference in the future”
The embedding of global youth work values within existing YMCA programmes and services continues to be a priority for the organisation. In order to achieve this within summer projects, a residential on the theme of Active Global Citizenship was held in YMCA Greenhill for young leaders from YMCAs in Dublin, West Dublin, Cork, Ballincollig, Bantry and Cobh. While the group was introduced to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the emphasis was on developing awareness, skills and capacity of the young leaders so that they could become agents of change within their local communities. As a group they chose to develop resources around issues of trade Justice focusing on ethical shopping and access to water and the connected issue of climate change. Following this training the young leaders helped to facilitate workshops within their local YMCA. The Bantry/Schull group chose to use digital media to explore issues including sustainable consumption/ climate change/ ethical shopping and they produced a number of short videos, which were showcased at a public screening in Bantry.
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In the Cork area a stepped or incremental approach to developing leadership was piloted which culminated in seven young leaders completing FETAC/QQI Level 5 Working with Young People component.
Training Initiative
The support and development of staff and volunteers remain key strategic priorities for the YMCA. In order to promote this a Youth Work Training sub-group was established to help develop a cohort of YMCA trainers and to co-ordinate the delivery of training to staff, volunteers and young leaders. This group oversaw the pilot of the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) course for twelve youth workers from nine associations in N Ireland. The topics covered included Measuring Outcomes, Peace-building and Inclusion, Participation and Leadership and Supervision. In addition 29 staff from 12 associations in NI and ROI attended training programmes which included involving young people with disabilities, dealing with difficult behaviour and a training the trainers course for dealing with challenging and difficult behaviour. A cohort of 15 staff and volunteers are currently completing the Level 2 Certificate in Youth Work Practice.
“Theory, relevance and how it should apply to my practice plus a lot of useful practical tools and methodologies were very helpful.”
The course includes an introduction to youth work, child protection, group dynamics, non-formal learning and organising and facilitating youth work activities. As part of their learning the group chose to plan and implement a Culture Day with the aim of integrating different cultural groups. Over 40 young people from across the YMCA in the Cork area participated in the Culture Day. Evaluation of the course showed that there had been significant learning outcomes for the young leaders with all reporting that they had grown as people as well as having a better understanding of what makes for effective youth work. In addition a robust Quality Assurance system is now in place for all accredited and non accredited training with 11 staff currently completing Training and Quality Assurance qualifications. In partnership with Youthlink, a non-managerial supervision programme is currently being piloted with a small group of professional youth workers in the field.
20 young people from Schull, Ballincollig and Cork participated in a leadership training programme in Greenhill YMCA this summer. The young people had different outcomes, but one was facilitating a PAKT summer scheme in the Cobh and Ballincollig YMCAs.
The partnership with YouthAction NI and University of Ulster continues to see YMCA staff involved in elements of the Certificate in Youth Studies Course. A number of initiatives aimed at helping young people progress into leadership roles within the organisation or within their communities were also supported during the year. These included 70 young people who completed inhouse accredited learning programmes in Youth Participation, Youth in Government and RAPP ( Reconciliation and Peer Education Programme). 4
Cork Region The past year has been a busy one for YMCAs in Cork City and County Cork. A noticeable feature in YMCA Cork’s work during the year was the continued interest in young people progressing from being “consumers” to being involved in the leadership of projects such as Groundfloor and Monday Night Live, which provide spaces for young people to become involved in the performing arts. In order to help this cohort of young leaders develop accredited training was provided in youth leadership where the emphasis was on providing incremental training which blended theoretical inputs with practice. This training was also offered to young people from YMCAs in County Cork. Another significant development was the progression of two young people onto the Board of Management thus ensuring that the experience and views of young people are heard.
The year also saw YMCA Cork’s Youth Information Service celebrating 30 years of its work with young people in the City. While the methodologies that are used to deliver information services have changed significantly, with outreach and social media replacing
drop-in services, nevertheless the client-centred approach which aims to promote the information seeking and decision making skills of young people have remained a constant. At a special event during the year, the Lord Mayor of Cork joined staff, volunteers and young people to mark this important milestone. Another important piece of work that was completed during the year was a shared strategic plan with the West Cork Youth Information Service. This strategy builds on the respective strengths of both services and will ensure that synergies are created that will enhance the delivery of the service. Part of the response to the ongoing issue of high levels of youth unemployment, particularly among those with few or no qualifications, YMCA Cork continues to offer it’s WOT! programme in Mahon and STEP in Marlboro St. Both provide customised supports to young people on their journey towards employment or training. In spite of being celebrating its celebrated its 25th Birthday, STEP continues to evolve to ensure that it remains relevant. The STEP programme run in YMCA Ballincollig during the year saw some new developments which are designed to strengthen partnerships with local employers in the community. Young people had a chance to look at career opportunities as well as practical help with CV writing, presentation and interview skills with staff from VMware. In the future it is hoped to build further on this partnership including looking at ways in which staff from the company could assist with the delivery of the Digital Media Technology module. A further development in the STEP programme in both YMCA Ballincollig and YMCA Cobh was the delivery of an Active Leadership programme in conjunction with Cork Sports Partnership. While the programme was aimed at helping develop practical skills which would enable the young people to deliver a basic fitness activity, it also helped raise their level of fitness thus
promoting positive mental health, wellbeing and building resilience. Another aspect of this link was the support offered to help young people move from the “couch to 5K” a sponsored run for charity thus helping to achieve another core goal for STEP ie to promote active citizenship.
YMCA Ballincollig’s PAKT programme had another successful year. Alongside the existing clubs, family and parents events there was a strong emphasis on helping young people to develop the skills necessary to play roles in the design and delivery of activities for their peers and also for their families as junior leaders. This proved to have been a very successful strategy which culminated in a number of junior leaders participating in week-long residential training event in YMCA Greenhill during the summer. This led to them assisting in a Ballincollig PAKT Summer Project where the theme was Global Diversity. There was very positive feedback about the contribution these junior leaders made to the programme For YMCA Cobh the highlight of the past year was undoubtedly the move to new premises which has made a big difference in the learning and working environments for young people and staff. The building was officially opened by Sean Sherlock TD during YMCA week in June. Volunteers, staff, parents and young people were really encouraged by his visit and 5
acknowledgement of the value of the work carried on by the YMCA in Cobh.
The STEP programme in YMCA Cobh continued to make a positive contribution to the lives of young people who have left school with few or no qualifications. There were a number of new developments including the introduction of the Gaisce Award Scheme to help young people both gain an award but more importantly to begin to build connections with their local communities and thus become more active as citizens. YMCA Cobh’s STEP programme has continued to develop new approaches to the use of digital media skills through the staff’s participation in the Adobe Techspace Initiative and in the STEAM programme. YMCA Cobh’s PAKT programme has certainly benefited from the move to the new premises with more space and the freedom to engage in physical activities really appreciated by children and staff alike! There were a number of well attended family events during the year including visits to the Pantomime and Fota Park. A summer project was also held for the first time in a number of years which was made possible thanks to funding from Irish Aid and close collaboration with colleagues in YMCA Ballincollig.
The Cobh Community Drugs Project is a well established part of the suite of programmes and services offered by YMCA Cobh. The project offers a first port of call for young people and their families who are concerned about substance misuse. Supports continued to be offered which enable them to access a range of interventions including specialist and residential services where appropriate. One of the strengths of the project is a local advisory group which provides both support to the project worker but also links to different services in the community. One of the major achievements of the year for YMCA Bantry’s PAKT project was the work done on designing and painting a large community mural to highlight the importance of recycling and its subsequent official unveiling by Mary Hegarty Cork County Councillor. As part of the ongoing effort to ensure that all YMCA programmes reflect on the changing needs of their communities, a comprehensive needs analysis was carried out, which will help chart the future direction of PAKT in West Cork area. Bantry YMCA PAKT children and parents said farewell to Una Chambers who left the project during the year. Una was involved in the programme from its inception in 2006 and helped guide it to being a unique programme which brings together the various strands of the local community. The YMCA West Cork’s Youth Information Service continued to use innovative ways of engaging with the information needs of a largely rural community. For the past number of years the emphasis has been on using digital media as well as outreach services. Another new aspect of the service which has come out of a partnership with SpunOut.ie, young people from Cork City and West Cork are being referred directly to the YMCA’s Youth Information Services if they need follow up information or local supports. Projects were run with young people in second level schools in the
area using the Techspace model. This model is designed to help the young people analyse a problem or local issue, explore and formulate responses and then present their learning using digital media. The impact that these pieces of digital media can be seen in the fact that there were over 8,000 hits on YMCA Techspace Youtube videos during the year. There were also a number of community based showcase events in cinemas, where young people presented their videos and shared their learning. A recurrent theme was the exploration of global justice and inequality issues. In Bantry, the guest of honour was Jeremy Irons who acknowledged the value of the work the YMCA in working with young people to bring about a more sustainable and just world.
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Dublin Region Over the course of the past two years, YMCA Dublin and West Dublin have been carrying out research into the development of new PAKT sites. As a result of deskbased research, meetings with local community and church groups etc a decision was made to prioritise the development of a new PAKT site in the Crumlin community as it met a number of criteria including level of need, no duplication with existing services and active support from an existing local community group. Funding was secured from Irish Youth Foundation, Canal Communities Partnership and a corporate sponsor which allowed for the appointment of a part-time worker.
In YMCA West Dublin’s PAKT project the year has seen further consolidation of its work with over 50 families as well as innovations as it seeks to respond to new and emerging needs. These have included PAKT Goes Wild which is an attempt to use outdoor activities to work with boys in the 10-12 age group, who find it difficult to learn in centre based surroundings. In McUilliam PAKT, a pilot took place involving setting up a youth choir which was supported by members from the Discovery
Gospel choir. While both of these pilots have shown promise, more work is needed to refine the methodologies as well as track the outcomes for the young people involved.
Soulworks which has allowed young people the opportunity to develop skills through organising music events in local community settings.
A strength of the Brookfield PAKT project over the years has been the level of ownership of the programme by parents which is seen in their active and consistent engagement in planning meetings etc. Other reflections of this, include the high levels of participation in the Back to Education Initiative and involvement in community action activities such as estate clean-ups. Crisis supports to families and children continue to be an important aspect of the overall package of services provided which involves extensive networking with a range of statutory and community based services. YMCA Dublin’s Aungier St PAKT project continues to offer a space and activities for parents and their children. The parent’s committee has been active in planning family events and a summer project. As a result of extensive consultations a decision was made to begin a new project in the Iveagh Trust Buildings which will start in November 2015. Iveagh Trust Buildings is a large community of over 450 flats, with approximately 250 of them having children. A major success of the year was a Family Fun Day which was held in Sandymount YMCA and which was generously supported by a corporate sponsor. This allowed children and families from a number of YMCA programmes in the Dublin area to enjoy the facilities in Sandymount. The development of PAKT across all the centres in the Dublin area has been facilitated by close working and collaboration between staff and volunteers. It is also important to acknowledge the contribution EVS volunteers from Germany, Russia, Italy, Spain and Moldova have made to local PAKT projects. Their skills, energy and capacity to adapt have been really important and valued. For the past few years, YMCA West Dublin has been involved in a leadership development initiative called
A new initiative by the YMCA in the Dublin region has been the piloting of a mentoring programme aimed at young people in the 8-14 age group who have displayed at-risk behaviours in relation to either substance misuse, juvenile justice or poor engagement with formal education. The One2One mentoring project, while initially based in YMCA West Dublin, will expand to other communities following the completion of the pilot. As in any new YMCA programme, an evidence base was developed and used to design a methodology. The project also learned from the experience of other mentoring projects both in the Dublin area as well as by YMCAs in other countries, such as Scotland. A number of mentors have been recruited, initial training delivered and referral mechanisms have been set up. YMCA Dublin’s youth work projects in Aungier St got a major boost during the year with the opening of their new purpose built youth space with their own front door! From this base over 20 different clubs including homework clubs are run to meet the needs of the local community. One of the highlights of the year was a series of fundraising events organised by the young 7
people themselves which culminated in a three day residential in the Carlingford Adventure Centre. Other innovations during the year included new work with the Community Guards around the issue of drug misuse and an equality programme looking at stereotyping. YMCA Dublin’s youth work projects continue to be engaged in the Adobe Youth Voices/ Techspace initiative. A group of young people produced a video entitled “ My Hero” on the topic of smoking and peer pressure and won an Xhale Award supported by the Irish Cancer Society. The award included a prize fund of €500, which was spent on a high quality camera and accessories.
One of the highlights for STEP in YMCA Dublin during the year was the move to a new and enlarged training suite which also had a number of new computers sponsored by a local company. The young people on the programme made the most of being a part of YMCA Dublin participating in lots of different events and activities as well as a number of them finding placements in different areas. A visit to the Dail as part of their citizenship module and the graduation ceremony held in Trinity College were some of the other events that made the programme very special for the learners.
YMCA Dublin’s Childcare facility was further enhanced during the year as a result of some refurbishment work to bring more natural light into rooms. A decision was made to introduce the new Aistear curriculum and this necessitated a lot of in-service training and support for the staff team. An important dimension of YMCA Dublin’s Childcare is the emphasis which is placed on continuous professional development for the staff in the centre thus ensuring that the children have the best possible environment within which to grow and flourish. The Fitness facilities in YMCA Dublin’s Aungier St and Sandymount facilities had a very successful year with a number of new offerings including “BTC” or Body Transformation Challenge which has a lifestyle component as well as the more traditional fitness elements. There were further improvements to the physical space in Aungier St fitness centre including the introduction of new equipment ie battle ropes, TRX equipment and an astro-track. It was encouraging to note that there was a 23% increase in the sale of personal training in Aungier St with Sandymount also offering personal training for the first time. The number of fitness classes also increased significantly during the year.
YMCA Dublin continues to be an important provider of training and employment opportunities for people in the local community. One aspect of this is the Community Employment scheme which offers up to 35 placements in fitness, administration, childcare, maintenance and youth-work as well as accredited training. It is encouraging to note the number who progress into employment or return to education as a result of participating in the scheme.
A new development for YMCA Dublin was a partnership with Third Space, a not for profit company, which led to the redevelopment of the foyer in Aungier St premises and the opening of a community cafe.
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Greenhill YMCA Greenhill is the YMCA’s national outdoor and residential centre based on the slopes of Slieve Donard in Newcastle Co Down. The purpose built centre includes 180 beds with a further 80 under canvas. In addition to the residential accommodation, the 18-acre site contains extensive facilities to support the on-going outdoor programme.
Currently the service provided to young people is divided into four main areas, all focussed on personal development using the media of outdoor/environmental education and facilitated group work. These are, residential programmes, day programmes, summer programmes for local young people and development programmes with marginalised young people in support of local voluntary, youth and community organisations.
The year saw over 5,700 young people from over 200 groups staying residentially in the centre. In addition there were 3,600 young people attending the centre on a day-visit basis.
receive accredited training in youth-work, lifeguarding and climbing. There continues to be positive feedback from young people about their experience of learning with this team of volunteers.
YMCA Greenhill also provides learning opportunities for young people in the local community through the well established Summer Adventure Camp which offers up to 600 places for young people in the 6-14 age group. A core component of YMCA Greenhill’s work is hosting a group of 12 international volunteers for an intensive training and work experience programme which equips them to deliver a number of outdoor activities. They also Greenhill YMCA is a fantastic facility and crucial to the young people of Newcastle. Generations of children have benefited from it over the years My son has attended its summer schemes that were fantastic and jam packed with activities. He has made lifelong friendships though Greenhill and was able to go canoeing, rock climbing, Zip lining and have a go at archery and bouldering. He could not do this any where else in the local area. I am employed in a neighbouring college who use Greenhill and its facilities on a regular basis. It plays a crucial role in our sixth form induction programme hosting 140 students every September for two days in an Integrated setting where they have a brilliant time and every year they look forward to it. The staff are fantastic and from different parts of the world which provides a global and cultural aspect to a residential visit. Groups of people that come to visit the college from schools in Sweden, Germany and France have also used Greenhill as their base when visiting N Ireland as it offers affordable and comfortable accommodation for schools who visit and on a tight budget. I know that other colleagues have recommended it as well. Other year groups in the college use it too. Long may it continue! - Greenhill User
There were a number of significant improvements in the fabric of the centre during the year with the expansion and refurbishment of the kitchen and food preparation areas. There was also investment in renewable energy with the installation of biomass heating which has seen an 80% reduction in the use of oil and in solar panels which has seen the centre meeting much of its own electricity needs from this source. The centre has also introduced facilities to encourage full recycling of materials and food waste.
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Lurgan & Portadown YMCA Lurgan continues to provide a suite of programmes for young people from their new purpose built centre. These include drop-ins, after-school clubs, adventure based activities and leadership development as well as ongoing peace-building opportunities.
would be able to give something back to their local communities. YMCA Lurgan’s Youth Engagement Support (YES) initiative gives young people living with a disability the opportunity to participate in games, engage in workshops such as art, music etc. Within a safe and enjoyable environment the young people gain greater independence as well as a chance to enhance personal skills in a space where they are valued and respected for who they are. With it’s own purpose built climbing wall, trained instructors in a number of outdoor sports adventure based activities means that adventure is well integrated into all aspects of YMCA Lurgan’s youth work programme. One of these is Y-Time My Time, a one year programme aimed at developing new outdoor skills while completing a Duke of Edinburgh Award.
An important focus for YMCA Lurgan is the cultivation of leadership skills among its members both at junior and senior levels. One of these is the Leaders in Training programme which is aimed at 15-17 year olds who complete an OCN in Peer Mentoring. This is combined with practice placements in other YMCA programmes. They are also encouraged to participate in the Millennium Volunteer scheme where they will be presented with a certificate and gold pin by the NI Minister for Education when they complete 200 hours of voluntary service. It was encouraging to see three young people who had been involved as leaders in YMCA Lurgan decide to pursue youth work as a profession in the hope that they
Arising from YMCA Lurgan’s commitment to tackle post-conflict issues in their local community, the Town Project Peace Camp continues to be an important programme that allows young people from diverse backgrounds to get to know each other in a residential setting while exploring what unites them.
YMCA Portadown continues to work with some of the most marginalised young people in the community through providing regular after-school homework club and evening drop in clubs. During the summer alongside the successful summer scheme there is a special summer intervention programme and additional funding was secured to rung a “Kickstart” youth run programme. In addition YMCA Portadown provides targeted work to include young people with disabilities as a BME (Black, Minority Ethnic) inclusion programme. West Portadown has seen a significant growth in the number of BME young people in recent years and through a partnership with the local schools YMCA Portadown has seen a change in the dynamics of its membership. Additional funding has been secured for an ongoing BME engagement programme which helps young people feel more integrated in the club as well as helping them to feel more accepted within the community. During the year, YMCA Portadown strengthened its relationships with the wider community including becoming an integral part of the Learning for Life and Work programme within Clounagh Junior High School. Young people have played a key role in the consultation and development process associated with the proposed Portadown People’s Park as well as being involved in organising events around its official opening. While resources have been secured for the building of a new building, YMCA Portadown staff, management volunteers and young people have been involved in various stages of the design and feasibility phases of the planning process. Visits by the Education Minister and strong involvement from the Lord Mayor have been helpful in this process.
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Belfast, Lisburn & North Down
YMCA Lisburn continues to provide programmes aimed at some of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable young people and their families in their catchment area. A common theme in many YMCA Lisburn’s programmes is helping young people address issues which affect their personal development and therefore participation in their local communities. The youth work team provides both informal and formal supports to help address presenting issues as well as ensuring additional external supports are located.
Health promotion remains an important programme in YMCA Lisburn. The well established SHAHRP programme works with young people in school settings and uses a methodology developed in Australia to explore the reasons why young people engage in risky
behaviours associated with alcohol misuse. A major breakthrough in the roll out of this programme was the securing of an additional ten posts to help provide supports to young people and their families by developing closer links with smaller community based organisations in the Trust area served by YMCA Lisburn. Vocational training has been a key strength of YMCA Lisburn for many years and with financial support from DENI, a new United Youth pilot scheme aimed at helping NEET young people get back into education or the labour market has been rolled out. YMCA North Down’s Youth Centre delivers youth clubs five evenings per week to over 200 young people, ranging in age from 7-25. These were complemented by structured group work programmes, focusing on the themes of health living, community relations and employability, and outreach youth work activities in Bangor town centre.
parents/carers and children across Bangor. New initiatives during the year included inclusion youth work with BME young people and the launch of the Youth Health Advice Service in SERC’s Bangor campus. YMCA North Down’s Families Together programme launched a Homework Skills Club in another primary school, whilst it’s BME Support Project employed a second Bilingual Advocacy Worker in order to meet growing demand for its services.
The Tenant Support Service provided floating support across North Down and Ards to an ongoing caseload of 39 individuals. The work of the PSAM (Preventing Suicide Amongst Men) project provided additional support, through one-to-one mentoring, structured group work and drop-in, to vulnerable adult males. The Harbour Renewal Project provided ESOL classes, an international homework club, a youth club for BME young people, a 55+ Friendship Group and a community drop-in service, as well as continuing to support the work of the Harbour Ward Community Association and Polish Association. YMCA North Down’s Bilingual Advocacy & Integration Worker provided one-to-one support to growing number of people from minority ethnic backgrounds.
During the year work commenced on the refurbishment of new premises for YMCA North Down in the heart of Bangor Town and this will offer new opportunities for volunteers and staff when they move into them in early 2016. Alongside the move to the new premises, the other challenge for the year ahead will be develop more unrestricted income through fundraising and social enterprise so that the association can become more financially self-sufficient.
The Families Together programme supported over 70 families via a diverse range of activities for 11
YMCA Belfast serves it’s community by providing families with childcare, out of school clubs, fitness classes, a gym facility as well as offering a range of opportunities for the personal development of young people.
One of the highlights of the year for YMCA Belfast was the official opening of its new 40 place child nursery building during YMCA week. The new building will ensure that YMCA Belfast will be able to offer some of the best childcare facilities for children in the Belfast area. The new facility has also made more meeting rooms available to the general public as well as more office space. The long established Friends Forever Community Relations and leadership programme offers young people from across N. Ireland combining a 2 week study visit to the USA followed up with weekly meetings and workshops at YMCA Belfast on return. Among the programmes offered to young people by YMCA Belfast is the N. Ireland National Citizen Service (NINCS) which is a way for 15-17 year olds living in N. Ireland to make friendships and build skills for life and work, through challenges, social action, reflection, social mixing, reflection and increased responsibility.
I’ve learnt that there’s so much in life to love and appreciate. There are others out there in similar and much worse situations than myself. It’s more fortunate people’s responsibility to get involved and help those less fortunate out, and it is not only rewarding but it’s also fun. I’ve learnt never to judge a book by it’s cover. No matter what religion, beliefs, race, disability, sexuality or nationality, it doesn’t define the person. I’ve achieved confidence and a once in a life time opportunity. I’ve achieved leadership skills, independence and belief in myself and others around me. I’ve gained amazing friends - Friends Forever participant
Another well established programme run by YMCA Belfast is Youth in Government, which is a political education programme for 16-17 year olds. It provides opportunities for young people from diverse backgrounds to meet together, explore issues and meet with politicians in Belfast, Dublin and London. Some of the issues considered during the year included justice, conflict, campaigning and lobbying. The YMCA Belfast’s Connect project is a non-formal education programme using group work discussions and conversations and interactive learning methods within the classroom to tackle issues of diversity and communication within N. Ireland. This year YMCA Belfast partnered with 4 schools in East Belfast to deliver the Connect programme alongside a Keeping Safe Online programme which focuses on equipping young people to safely communicate in an increasingly connected world. YMCA Belfast has recently been successful in a partnership bid to deliver the innovative United Youth programme. This programme offers places for young people who have found themselves out
of work, training and education, supporting and enabling them to develop and grow their skills and knowledge for work and life.
Story of a young person’s involvement in YMCA Belfast What was your situation before getting involved in YMCA? I had really low confidence and self-esteem and to be honest I was quite socially awkward. My teachers and parents both were really trying to encourage me to take part to increase my confidence. I also had quite a pessimistic view about my life at that point in time, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to take part in the programme. I had my friends but wasn’t particularly happy in that group. I honestly had a poor opinion of myself and never thought anything would change. What difference has YMCA made in your life? It has honestly made such a difference and benefitted me an invaluable amount. Not only have I had the best experience of my life, learnt so many new things and had my opinions seriously changed but I’ve also gained a much more positive outlook on life and a more positive opinion of myself and my abilities. My confidence and self-esteem has increased so much and I am now much more comfortable in social situations. I thought that I was alone with the struggles I go through, but I’ve learnt that I am not alone and so many young people I never would’ve expected it from are in the same boat. Above all, I’ve met some of the most amazing, kind, beautiful people, who I really do believe I will be friends with for a very long time, maybe even forever. I am just so much happier after the programme, and that has been pointed out by many people in my life. 12
Carrickfergus & Larne
YMCA Larne continues to offer an extensive range of youth clubs, after-school groups and summer scheme projects in order to meet the demand from the local community it seeks to serve. In its after-schools project, particular emphasis was put on using creative methodologies such as gardening, rocket design to tackle issues such as anti bullying and healthy living. As a result of additional funding secured during the year, it was possible to expand the programme offering through a number of new initiatives. These included being able to offer a number of sports such as football, basketball, fishing and swimming as new options. A Good Relations based programme was also introduced as well as a programme aimed at developing Junior Leaders.
projects were delivered in Burnside, The Grange, Whitehead and Greenisland. As a result of funding by the Education Authority (EA) under its Inclusion Programme, YMCA Larne developed an Autism Support project which offered recreational space and support to young people on the autistic spectrum. Other new developments included a Road Safety project which focused on making users of the centre including parents, children and young people more aware of road safety issues in the vicinity of the centre. A new Transitions programme was also developed for young people in P6/7 as they progressed to second level schools . Some of the topics covered included getting organised, getting around, how to relax and dealing with change and stress. In looking to the future YMCA Larne has identified the need to further build the capacity of the organisation to allow it to meet increasing demands in terms of programme delivery, compliance and good governance. YMCA Carrickfergus continues to provide a range of youth and community based programmes and services. It’s Youth Club is open four nights per week and offers clubs aimed at both Junior and Senior age groups while on Sunday nights Re-Mix is delivered.
A key dimension to the work of YMCA Larne over recent years has been its partnership work with communities in surrounding areas. During the year a number of youth
their engagement with the programme there is evidence of the young people growing in confidence, taking on their challenges, gaining qualifications and developing their independence.
One of YMCA Carrickfergus’s longest established programmes is PAKT which works with children and their parents in four large public housing estates in the town. There was some work done during the year in reconfiguring the services so that a similar model of working is used across all four sites. A new development during the year was shared family events between the centres. In looking to the future a major challenge for YMCA Carrickfergus is ensuring its financial sustainability as a result of significant changes that are anticipated in the external funding and policy environments.
A Health Hub, which acts as one stop shop for health information is offered to young people in schools and colleges across the region as well as a drop in session on Monday and Friday afternoons. A focus of the Health Hub is to work with young people aged 17 plus who present with multiple issues. These have included relationship issues, substance abuse, anger issues, family breakdown, low aspiration and self esteem. As a result of 13
Londonderry & Donegal
One of the highlights for YMCA Londonderry during the year was the refurbishment and extension of its building in Drumahoe which saw a computer training room, offices, toilets and car park being added as well as a lift which gives wheelchair users access to all parts of the building. The Youth Centre continues to operate five nights per week while an outreach programme is offered in a neighbouring community facility, four nights per week. It also offers a 57 place after-school facility as well as providing support to other smaller youth clubs in the area.
insight into how it feels to negotiate the world with both obvious and hidden disabilities. Another example of this proactive role YMCA Londonderry plays within the wider community is its engagement with the Waterside Neighbourhood Partnership which brings together all the key statutory and voluntary organisations in the Waterside area to promote a safe area for all of its citizens. One of the highlights of the year was YMCA Londonderry’s Summer Scheme where the theme was “Opening your eyes to global issues”. Through a series of simulation exercises and role plays, the children and young people learnt a lot about how families survive in the global south and how unjust economic and social systems prevent certain groups, including women and young people, achieve their basic human rights. Alongside the youth based activities there are a wide range of other groups that operate from YMCA Londonderry’s premises including weight watchers, camera club, badminton club, retirees club, motor club as well as sports clubs including rugby, football, fitness club (green gym), fishing and a running club! A key theme in many of YMCA Londonderry’s activities is the promotion of peace building activities. With support from the International Fund for Ireland, CFNI and its Peace Impact Programme, the YMCA has been involved in the Waterside community to develop sensitive interventions in areas that have been underrepresented in previous peace building programmes or activities.
YMCA Donegal’s main programme continues to be STEP which services a wide hinterland from its base in Letterkenny. The programme saw young people achieve distinctions and merits at QQI/FETAC Level 4 major award in Employment Skills as well as full ECDL certificates. A major highlight of the year was a group of young people who got through to the National Finals of Young Environmentalist Award run by ECO-UNESCO, having succeeded at the Ulster Finals in Craigavon. Their project focused on an anti-litter campaign with a youth-friendly film (Literal Heroes), a survey of recycling practice in the Business Enterprise Park followed with a coffee morning to give feedback to management and tenants, as well as building a bird box from recycled materials.
One of the features of YMCA Londonderry’s is its close collaboration with other groups in the community. This was demonstrated in a number of Disability Awareness workshops which it hosted for youth groups in the area. An experienced trainer helped the leaders gain a real 14
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15
Treasurer We are pleased to report the Accounts for 2014/2015 show continued financial stability for the National Council in Northern Ireland and the Republic. This is against a backdrop of government financial cutbacks in the Republic and increased compliance costs throughout the island. The financial accounts of the National Council of YMCAs Ltd and the Republic of Ireland Trust have been audited by PKF/FPM and show modest increases in our unrestricted reserves. The total income within N.I. amounted to £1,158,467 with expenditure of £931,404 while our Republic of Ireland (RoI) operation had an income of €1,423,913 and an expenditure of €1,399,440. We are pleased to report the continued capital investment in the Greenhill Residential Centre has attracted addition visitors and helped it meet its business plan targets. The youth work training programme initiative continues to attract new funds and returns on our investment. In the Republic, the organisation has continued to absorb government austerity cuts by tight budgeting and reduction of certain programmes. Financial planning is progressing with regard to possible mergers of local associations with National Council in the next 18 months. Part of the future will be a business model balanced between grant aid, fund raising and social enterprise which will help ensure long term sustainability. Our thanks go to our extensive range of funders. We are particularly grateful to our core funders the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in the Republic and the Youth Council for Northern Ireland. A summary of accounts and a list of funders are included on the next few pages and full sets of accounts are available on our website and from our national offices. I would further like to acknowledge the work of the administration teams North and South, Noelle, Mary, & Jackie for their excellent work over the year. The staff teams deal with over 30 funders from two jurisdictions. We appreciate their diligence and careful stewardship of the Organisation’s resources.
Richard Spratt Treasurer 16
NI Accounts Summary The National Council of Young Men's Christian Association of Ireland Ltd Statement of Financial Activities for the year end 31 March, 2015
2015 £ 595,485 562,982 1,158,467
Balance Sheet as at 31 March, 2015
2014 £
Income
Unrestricted/Designated Restricted
591,618 238,559 830,177
Expenditure
Unrestricted/Designated Restircted
562,727 368,677 931,404
539,610 403.373 942,983
Unrestricted/Designated Restricted
0 0 0
0 0 0
32,758 194,305 227,063
52,008 -164,814 -112,806
469,131 2,096,533 2,565,664
417,123 2,261,347 2,678,470
2015 £ 2,333,957
2014 £ 2,113,497
422,308 339,470
148,323 450,108
761,778
598,431
(303,008)
(146,264)
458,770
452,167
Total Assets less Current Liabilities
2,792,727
2,565,664
FUNDS Restricted funds General funds
2,290,838 501,889
2,096,533 469,131
2,792,727
2,565,664
FIXED ASSETS Tangible assets CURRENT ASSETS Debtors Cash at bank and in hand
Transfers between funds
Net movment in funds Unrestricted/Designated Restricted
Total funds brought forward Unrestricted/Designated Restricted
Total funds carried forward Unrestricted/Designated Restricted
501,889 2,290,838 2,792,727
469,131 2,096,533 2,565,664
CREDITORS (amounts due within one year) Net Current Assets
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RoI Accounts Summary The National Council of Ireland YMCA Trust Statement of Financial Activities for the year end 31 December 2014 Income
Expenditure
Unrestricted/Designated Restricted
Unrestricted/Designated Restricted
2014 € 19,894 1,404,019 1,423,913
Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2014 FIXED ASSETS Tangible assets
2013 € 17,649 1,442,947 1,460,596
20,146 1,379,294
36,397 1,442,851
1,399,440
1,479,248
2014
2013 € 0
€ 0
44,500 513,203
19,653 637,042
557,703
656,695
-158,191
-281,656
Net Current Assets
399,513
375,039
Total Assets less Current Liabilities
399,513
375,039
FUNDS Restricted funds General funds
161,593 237,920
136,867 238,172
399,513
375,039
CURRENT ASSETS Debtors & Prepayments Cash at bank and in hand
CURRENT LIABILITIES Net movment in funds Unrestricted/Designated Restricted
-252 24,726
-18,748 96
24,474
-18,652
Unrestricted/Designated
0
0
Transfers between Unrestricted/Designated funds Restricted Total funds brought forward Unrestricted/Designated Restricted
0 0
16,123 -16,123
238,172 136,867 375,039
240,797 152,894 393,691
237,920 161,593 399,513
238,172 136,867 375,039
Prior year adjustment
Total funds carried forward Unrestricted/Designated Restricted
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Thanks The following funders contributed to the work of National Council during 2014/5 YCNI Affiliation fees Y Friends Department of Children & Youth Affairs (Youth Service Grant Scheme) Affiliation fee YCNI Lloyds TSB The Big Lottery Department of Employment & Learning Department of Education (Kitchen Refurbishment) Challenge Fund – Environment Link Dept of Education & Skills with support from the European Social Fund
Volunteer Development
Marsh UK
Health Promotion
Department of Children and Youth Affairs (Young Peoples Facilities & Services Fund) Tusla Dublin & Dun Laoghaire ETB ( SPY) Co Dublin County Council
Global Youth Work
Irish Aid ( Dept Foreign Affairs) Trocaire
Cobh YMCA
Bandon YMCA
Department of Children & Youth Affairs ( Youth Information Fund) Cork County Council & Cork ETB ( Comhairle na nOg)
Bantry YMCA
M&SS NI
M&SS RoI Greenhill YMCA
STEP
West Dublin YMCA
Ballincollig YMCA
Tusla Leargas under the EU Youth Programme Cork ETB (Youth Club Grant scheme) Tusla Cork ETB (Youth Club Grant scheme) Southern Regional Drugs Task Force/HSE Tusla Leargas under the EU Youth Programme Cork ETB (Youth Club Grant scheme)
Further information on the work of the YMCA Movement in Ireland is available on our website www.ymca-ireland.net
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