We are looking for an inspirational Young Men’s Lead Youth Worker to join the MAC 9–18 Project within Youth Initiatives. The role will have a particular focus on working alongside and engaging young men, while supporting the personal, social and spiritual development of young people aged 9–18 across East Belfast, particularly in the Ballymacarrett, Island and Sydenham areas. Through outreach, weekly programmes, 1-to-1 mentoring, small groups and links with other Youth Initiat

The Department of Education has launched a significant public consultation on its draft policy statement, Stronger Futures: A Northern Ireland Youth Work Policy Statement. This is an important opportunity to help shape the future of youth services and ensure children and young people aged 4–25 continue to benefit from meaningful, accessible and high-quality support. The policy sets out a strategic direction for youth work over the coming years, focusing on six key themes: imp

The Northern Ireland Community Relations Council (NICRC) hosted the Making a Difference conference 2026 with the theme BUILDING BELONGING. A key aspect of the conference was showcasing the peacebulding work undertaken by recipients of the Core Funding Scheme, which NICRC delivers to strategic organisations within Northern Ireland. We at Youth Initiatives played an active role, with Lynda contributing to interviews and a panel discussion on peacebuilding, Niamh showcasing our

Last Friday project partners and stakeholders came together at the Bytes Glengormley Hub to look back at the accomplishments and the learning that happened across different regions for the Voices for Impact project, which is supported by the PEACEPLUS Programme (managed by SEUPB). Even though this event was the end of this part of the project the Voices for Impact digital platform is still fully working to serve as a foundation for evidence-informed youth work and advocacy. K

During Summer Schemes over 200 young people from each of our 6 Youth Community Hubs gathered in Antrim to compete in the annual Fun Olympics. It was a day of fun, competition, and relationship building. This year’s event had a World Cup theme, with each team representing a different country and taking part in a series of challenges designed to test teamwork, sporting ability, knowledge, and plenty of competitive spirit. Throughout the day, teams competed to earn points toward

The Creative Connections project, delivered by Youth Initiatives in Derry/Londonderry, brought together young people from Protestant and Catholic communities to participate in weekly good relations workshops over a six-month period, using film and music as creative tools to explore identity, understanding, and a shared future. Over the course of the six months, the young people wrote, performed, directed, filmed, and produced their own original short film, “Bridges Between.”

The Crosslinks project, a partnership between Youth Initiatives and Diverse Youth NI, saw over 55 young people engaging in weekly good relations arts workshops over 6 months to write and produce their original theatre and art exhibition. This year their theatre performance, ‘Murder Mystery: Dead Serious’, followed a group of unlikely guests who discovered that embracing their diverse backgrounds empowered them to work together to solve the murder of Mr Alfredo Sorrentino. The

YI Downpatrick was named runner up in the Good Relations Youth Award at this year’s Good Relations Awards, delivered by the Community Relations Council and the Northern Ireland Youth Forum. The awards recognise individuals and organisations across Northern Ireland who are working to strengthen relationships and create opportunities for people from different backgrounds to connect. The Good Relations Youth Award focuses on young people who are contributing to positive communit

Camp Summit is back for 2026, and registration is now open. Taking place 13th–16th July at Ganaway Activity Centre, Millisle, this year’s theme is Right Here, Right Now. Camp Summit brings young people together from across our 6 hubs for a few days, focused on good relations, discovering faith, and building friendships. Through a mix of workshops, activities, and shared time together, it creates space to connect, reflect, and step into something different this summer. Registr

Young people from Youth Initiatives and Diverse Youth recently took part in the Belfast Anti-Racism Cup, a 5-a-side football tournament designed to bring people together from different backgrounds through a shared love of the game. The tournament created a space where teams from across communities could come together, including players with connections to countries such as Ghana, Sudan, Nigeria, Syria and Zimbabwe. The focus was on inclusion, participation, and creating a pos