ARDOYNE Youth Enterprise (AYE) have unveiled plans for the next three years to strengthen youth and community development.

The impact report and development plan for 2023-26 was launched at the Houben Centre with a networking event for local youth centres, community and statutory services, political representatives and funders.

AYE specialises in detached youth work, personal development and training programmes, support for local youth centres and community services, good relations with neighbouring areas, inclusion and diversity.

The group has built on its strengths and experience in youth and community development to help the community manage the continuing impact of the pandemic and cost of living crisis, and to support young people to grow and strive. 

Over 2,000 households were supported through the pandemic, 6,000 street engagements made with young people and 360 OCN certificates delivered in the past three years, thanks to successful partnerships.

AYE added several new courses to its portfolio of youth leadership and youth work qualifications, including Youth Justice, Healthy Relationships, Introduction to Social Media, Safer Finances and Hair Styling. 

With support from Urban Villages and the Community Academy, AYE is developing a new building at Ardoyne shops roundabout that will allow it to develop its training capabilities and strengthen its cross-community work. 

Sally Smyth, Chairperson of AYE, said: "AYE is now widely recognised as a provider of youth and community support and a dependable organisation that fosters partnerships to enhance services for everyone in Ardoyne and its neighbouring areas.

"In the process, we moved from a small office in a youth club to our own rented premises on Flax Street, with offices, private space for mentoring sessions, a meeting room, youth drop-in and community garden.

"We have now outgrown that space and are developing a Youth and Community Hub that will accommodate our need for state-of-the-art training and meeting facilities, digital hub, and neutral meeting space for young people. This is an achievement we are proud of as it is driving a community partnership process which, among other successes, has brought a 3G football pitch to Marrowbone Millennium Park which is extensively used by local sports clubs and youth organisations and now about to be expanded on by Belfast City Council and Urban Villages.

"We are also extremely proud of our commitment to building good relations and have championed this through initiatives such as active participation in North Belfast Strategic Good Relations Programme, where we have enhanced good relations through wider North Belfast, built strong links with partners in neighbouring areas and developed important capacity building programmes in the process.

"In recent years, we managed pilot outreach detached partnerships with youth centres in Woodvale, Ballysillan and New Lodge, and helped create a one-year partnership outreach programme for youth clubs in Ardoyne and Marrowbone."

Sally added: "Meanwhile, our team ensures continuity of youth outreach on the streets of Ardoyne and Oldpark. We work hard to develop services, opportunities and strategic gains to youth organisations and young people, and to play a pivotal role in community development and service delivery in Ardoyne, Marrowbone and across North Belfast."