Young Voices - Include Youth [NI]
Age Group: 16 - 21 within the community. 13-17 in custody.
Specific Interest Group: Young people involved in or with experience of the justice system.
How are Children and Young People Involved?
The project involves consulting the young people involved and supporting them to make presentations, co-facilitate training, speak at conferences/workshops etc. The young people have ultimate input and decision making over the structure timing and delivery method of the project, as well as decisions re informal activities of the project.
The experiences of those involved in the Young Voices project include:
• Care
• Offending
• Paramilitaries
• Poor school experiences
• Few or no formal qualifications
• Mental health problems
• Alcohol and drug use
• Teenage parenting
• Disability
The project is a method for these marginalized young people to be able to tell their stories and have their views heard about the issues that have affected them and their lives. For most of the young people involved, Young Voices is the first time they have had a real opportunity to do this, particularly one which gives them a chance to be heard by individuals in positions of power and authority. The project draws young people from across Northern Ireland and also works with young people resident in the Juvenile Justice Centre of Northern Ireland.
Issues that the project has recently provided feedback on include:
• Policing
• Anti social behaviour
• The courts
• The care system
• Education
• A strategy for children
• Young people’s experiences of court
• Mental Health
• Community Restorative Justice
• Reducing Youth Offending
This has involved speaking at conferences, meeting with researchers, developing audio visual presentations, as well as internal consultations carried out to inform Include Youth’s responses to policy documents.
A new project recently started is North Belfast Young Voices, aimed at gathering young people’s views and experiences of policing in North Belfast. The overall goal of this project is to improve the relationship between the police and young people in North Belfast.
Contact Details
Mat Crozier
Young Voices Development Worker
Include Youth
Alpha House
3 Rosemary St
Belfast
BT1 1QA
Tel:028 90311007
Email: mat@includeyouth.org
Website: http://www.includeyouth.org
