AYE eNews - Autumn 2021
AYE AGM and Annual Report 20-21 
At our AGM at GRACE Family Centre, we presented our Annual Report for 20-21.
The annual report tells the story of how, in a year marked by the Covid 19 crisis, we found new ways to engage with and support young people and community in North Belfast and beyond.
Massive thanks to our young people, Board, members and funders for helping us make this extraordinary year a productive one, filled with good memories and positive developments.
Read Ardoyne Youth Enterprise Annual Report 2020-21 here.
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Building capacity: OCNNI training with AYE
As an accredited OCNNI Centre, AYE has an extensive catalogue of courses available to groups. We run some of these courses with support from Community Relations Council through NBSGRP and Belfast City Council Capacity Building. Others are commissioned by youth organisations. Email communication@ardoyne.org for our catalogue of courses.
OCNNI Youth Work Level 2 Award
We have 19 learners on our current run of OCNNI Youth Work Level 2 Award. We are running this year's sessions at the Spectrum Centre. In their third week of the course, the learners are people who work or volunteer in the sector, aspiring youth workers and young leaders from youth organisations across North Belfast and beyond. We are able to run this 12-week course free of charge once a year, with support from North Belfast Strategic Good Relations Programme.
Social media certificates presentation
We were delighted to bring 11 OCNNNI certificates to the ladies at GRACE Family Centre who completed our introduction to Social Media Level 1 course. The ladies use their social media skills in their family and neighbourhood social networks and in their volunteering activities.
OCNNI Youth Justice at Trinity
As part of our Enrichment programme with year 13 students at Trinity College Belfast, we have started an OCN Level 2 in Youth Justice. The young people are exploring the structures and issues involved in the youth justice system, including a session on restorative justice. The group also held a practical training session on First Aid.
New Lodge Youth Centre certificates
We've been running courses in youth leadership, mentoring skills and mental health awareness for staff and young leaders in North Belfast youth centres again this year. Lovely to see happy faces at the certificates presentation at New Lodge Youth Centre.
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Youth outreach: mapping exercise and focus group
Our youth engagement team has been engaged in a young people's needs and services mapping exercise lately to better focus its outreach detached and group work. The team is planning its outreach nights in collaboration with other local youth providers, taking turns with the Empowering Young People team to ensure cover for more nights and parts of the district. 
Our youth workers have been visiting local facilities to find out what's on offer for young people, and matching this with the needs identified on their rounds.
The team has started a new 'Focus' group with young people met on the streets of Ardoyne, who are not normally engaged in youth services. Our youth workers are co-designing a series of activities with the young people. The long term goal is to involve them in personal development and wellbeing activities in AYE or in partner organisations.
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Group work: youth empowerment and good relations
We have two dedicated good relations and personal development groups at the moment, MADE with Monkstown Boxing Club and Engage with RCity.
MADE has taken on a new intake of young women from Ardoyne and Monkstown. The young people have already bonded in a residential and are about to embark on an OCNNI in Diversity and Good Relations together.
Engage has been involved in fun activities and reflection sessions on identity, community, emotions and mental health. The group has come a long way in self-awareness and personal development since it started in the summer.
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Good Relations Week
For Good Relations Week, we brought our Engage group with RCity on an open top bus tour where they discussed their city's cultures, landmarks and history. We sent young people from AYE and Monkstown Boxing Club on a history hunt around Monkstown.
We held our providers' networking breakfast at NBWISP sensory garden, where representatives from Glenbrook Surestart, Let Youth Lead, NB Housing, Holycross Preschool, R City, New Lodge Youth Centre, Ardoyne Youth Club, Community Foodbank, NBWISP and AYE shared information about their services for children, young people and families.
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Welcoming newcomers to North Belfast
Small Worlds - hear life stories from around the world
Our 21-22 programme of Small Worlds workshops has started again, and we've held workshops in AYE, Northern Ireland Youth Forum and New Lodge Youth Centre. More are planned for Women's Tec, Ardoyne Youth Club's Urban Villages group, Ballysillan Primary School, Wheatfield PS, Sacred Heart PS and GRACE young women's group.
If you would like a free Small Worlds workshop for your group, contact catherine@ardoyne.org
Good Relations Week fun day
During Good Relations Week, we brought together people from our Welcoming Newcomers programme and young people from Ardoyne Youth Enterprise, RCity and local community. Our friends from Syria, Iran, Turkey, Sudan and India started with a picnic in the polytunnel at Our Lady's PS Deanby, thanks to Cara at Yeha who opened up for us and made tea and coffee. They then joined the young people for a fun day with bouncy castles, pool, table tennis and a nice chat sitting around in the sun at Ardoyne Youth Club and AYE garden, getting to know each other and exchanging information.
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News from members and partners
At AYE, we are always happy to share news and info from our members and partners. Send your news to communication@ardoyne.org.
Autumn training programme at Ardoyne Association
If interested in any of the courses below, contact Kevin on 028 9071 5165 or kevin@ardoyneassociation.org
1. Ardoyne Association is currently recruiting for its Introduction to Benefits course, starting 3 November. Ardoyne Association is keen to train community volunteers and young champions who could help others navigate through the benefits system. It’s a free course run over 3 evenings and you get £25 voucher on completion.
2. Open University Access Course
Open University are delivering a People-Work and society access course at Ardoyne Association.
A unique opportunity for those seeking inspiration, looking to change direction or searching for a new beginning, this Access Training will provide: The roadmap to your new career – An opportunity to gain new skills – The chance to explore your passion – A way to create a better life for you and your family – The next chapter in your learning journey.
The course lasts 30 weeks and covers psychology ― childhood and youth ― social science ― health ― business and law. A tutor has been appointed by Open University to hold bi-monthly meetings with the students. 8 to 10 places available on Autumn course. Second intake in February 2022.
3. Enhanced Disability Care Training
CPD Level 2 Enhanced Skills and Training, for those caring for people with a learning disability. Also beneficial for parents who have children or family members with learning disabilities. 6 Tuesday evening sessions, starts 2 November, 5pm to 7pm.
Toolkit for Community Development
Ashtown Community Trust and Community Places have got together to produce a Community Capacity Building Toolkit. The toolkit aims to help groups build local capacity and promote the development of shared, resilient and lawful communities.
Download it here: www.ashtoncentre.com/toolkit-for-community-development-in-north-belfast
Multi-sensory room and complementary therapies at NBWISP
Our friends at NBWISP have a fantastic sensory room and garden available to families and groups in North Belfast. You can book a one-hour session for a small group or family for as little as £3.
Children and adults of all abilities can benefit from using a sensory room. These environments have proven to be extremely valuable to those with disabilities, challenging behaviours and mental health issues, such as ASD, ADD, ADHD, brain injuries, Alzheimer’s, Cerebral Palsy, Downs, depression etc.
NBWISP is also home to wellbeing workshops, OCNNI training, Let It Grow gardening project, youth mentoring programme, complementary therapies, hairdressing services... For info and bookings: 028 9039 1028, or email info@nbwisp.com.
Send your news and info to communication@ardoyne.org.
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AYE office, garden and meeting room
Our office and garden are open for meetings and socially distanced activities. If you would like to make use of our space, contact thomas@ardoyne.org or catherine@ardoyne.org, or send a private message to our Facebook or Twitter accounts.
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AYE Newsletter
The AYE newsletter is a place to inform you of events and programmes of interest to you and your user groups, run by AYE and our member groups, as well as youth and community groups in Ardoyne, Marrowbone and wider North Belfast.
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