YOUNG people in the New Lodge have completed a week-long volunteer week as part of a leadership programme.
Recently, New Lodge Youth Centre began a new leadership programme, 'Champions for Change', with the aim of supporting young people in poverty, young people with a disability and resettling young people.
The overarching theme for the project is leadership. The project aims to support young people to overcome any barriers they face to being leaders in their own lives, at home, amongst peers and in their communities.
As part of our 'Champions for Change' project senior members aged 14+ participated in a summer volunteer week from July 24-30.
Some of the social action work included a community clean-up in partnership with Newington Housing Association, a leaflet drop raising awareness of support services, providing an activity night for young people of the 174 Disability Project, providing activities in Somerton House for their residents and homeless support with Peoples Kitchen Belfast.
Neve Robinson, Project Co-Ordinator, said: “This week was a great success and the young people were a credit to themselves, the centre and their families.
"All young people with the support of our staff pushed themselves and each other to have a really impactful week on all we worked with.
"As an organisation we aim to provide young people with the opportunity to give back to others as it not only benefits them in building skills and qualities but also their understanding of others.
"We also understand how important volunteering is in the community and the young people have proved themselves to be fantastic young leaders”.
