The Fuse January 2020

JANUARY 2020

The Fuse News & views from Futures

FESTIVE FUTURES The highlight of our Autumn and Winter period was our celebration event on Tuesday 10th December at Belfast Met E3 Campus. We celebrated the

CONTENTS...

FESTIVE FUTURES...….....……………….…P.1

success of 83 young people who completed our programme and have

progressed onto education, training and employment. We had food, games, presentations, videos, a Christmas quiz and even a visit from Santa himself!

BRIDGE..……………………………….…..................P.2 YOUNG VOICES.........………………..............P.3 FESTIVE FUTURES...…......……..............P.4

SHOUT OUT...…………....………………………...P.5

PEACE IV CONFERENCE...………...…..P.6

ANNUAL REPORT...……………………….....P.6 CREATIVE FUTURES...……………………..P.7

POETRY CORNER...…………………………...P.7 NEW SCHOOL...…………………………………...P.7

Turn to page 4 for more pics...

JAN 2020 | PAGE 2

BRIDGE BY FUTURES – A BETTER FUTURE FOR EVERYONE Bridge by Futures is a youth-led initiative that grew out of a six-week placement for students from Belfast Business School.

For the older generation, mental health was swept

The group’s aim was to start a conversation

One of the students, Rachel, shared her thoughts

under the rug and

around social isolation and the impact on mental

isolation and loneliness plays a massive impact on

just not talked about.

older generation are all about retirement and how

Now for younger

between young people and older generations health and well-being.

Futures facilitator James Freeman explained:

“Week one of the placement was all about getting to know each other, then the group pitched ideas

and decided to do a community project and began

on the project. She said: “We’ve found that

the older generation and younger generation. The they feel they are not worthy anymore because they didn’t have anything to do. Whereas the

younger generation struggle with social media

people, we have found that

researching different types. The students decided having thousands of friends on Facebook but do

conversation is more

older generation and attitudes around mental

open and more people

to look at vulnerable groups – particularly the

we have a real connection with any of them?”

health. Their aim was to bridge the gap, to

health was swept under the rug and just not

compare and contrast asking: ‘this is how it is now….how was it in your day?”

The students visited a senior group at Girdwood

She added: “For the older generation, mental

talked about. Now for younger people, we have

found that conversation is more open and more people are talking about their mental health.”

community hub in Belfast. They brought along

During their placement the students also heard

Christmas wreaths. They even tried their hand at

who shared their knowledge and gave the group

cakes and buns and helped out with making

some bowling! This provided the perfect informal setting for their intergenerational project

allowing them to engage with older members of the local community.

from guest speakers from business backgrounds tips on how to establish themselves from a business perspective.

The students rounded off their time with Futures with a trip to see the Belfast Giants.

are talking about their mental health."

JAN 2020 | PAGE 3

YOUNG VOICES Our Futures ambassadors attended the Young Voices event on Wednesday 20th November at the Junction in Dungannon.

The event was facilitated by YouthPact and

attended by PeaceIV funded projects and Pivotal – an independent thinktank for Northern Ireland.

The event focussed on young people’s vision for the future – they worked in project groups

looking ahead to the world they want to be part of in the year 2040.

The groups discussed a range of key issues such

as mental health, secure jobs, poverty, education, waiting lists and climate change.

Our ambassadors then designed a newspaper

front page and presented this to other groups of young people.

Did you know: The year 2040 will be 41 years on from the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement

JAN 2020 | PAGE 4

‌.from front page: Festive Futures continued....

JAN 2020 | PAGE 5

Shout Out

What do our young people say about Futures...?

Monica Conlon recently completed Futures. She was supported to complete a fast track in Essential skills at Belfast Met which came about through her engagement with the college.

Furthermore, she took on the additional credits to gain a GCSE equivalent.

This has led to her enrolling on a Level 2 Through Futures Monica took part in Diploma in Health & Social Care – many activities, including a residential something that she credits Futures with at Greenhill YMCA in Newcastle where helping her progress onto.

her group did team-building activities,

She said: “Futures gave me confidence bouldering and rock climbing.

to know that I can finish a course, and However, Monica claimed the best thing because I have made a few friends from about Futures was the support she

the course it’s just really let me know received from her facilitators, Chris &

that I can go out and make new friends.” Roisin, as well as the variety of OCN Monica first heard about the Futures booklets that she completed.

project when staff held an outreach She said: “Chris and Roisin were great

information session at her local youth because they were always like…there’s club. She said:

no use in giving up! I did a speech at the

“I was at my youth club, Cara-Friend, Love Equality rally in May, and Roisin

and Chris came in to talk about it. My and Chris were over the moon, and gave

youth worker Lee encouraged me to get me tips for it so that really helped and involved. What attracted me was the built my confidence up a lot.”

fact that it was LGBTQ+ inclusive and a Participants on the Futures project can few of my friends were doing it so that avail of a travel card and receive an

made it a bit easier than starting a new incentive of £8 for every day that they course with no-one I knew.”

attend. These were benefits that

By participating in Futures, Monica Monica found really helped her to stay

hoped to improve her skills for life such involved as she had to commute to E3 as time management and liked the idea campus from her home in North of one day being able to lead a team. Belfast.

Now, having developed her leadership When asked if she would recommend

skills - she is planning to volunteer at Futures Monica said: “Yes, you’ll get new Cara-Friend.

friends, support from the facilitators, experience and you’ll have fun!”

Futures gave me confidence to know that I can finish a course, and because I have made a few friends from the course it’s just really let me know that I can go out and make new friends.

JAN 2020 | PAGE 6

Peace IV Conference Futures attended the Peace IV Impact & Evaluation conference on 5th November 2019. The event, at La Mon Hotel, was organised by Queens and RSM, to showcase the impact made by the Peace IV projects so far.

There was much discussion around important peacebuilding issues for Northern Ireland’s current political climate; such as youth suicide and links to paramilitary activity and the implications of Brexit.

One of our facilitators Conaire, gave a presentation on the transformative moments that young people experience as a result of being involved with Futures and what our team does to make those happen - he also sat on a Q&A panel.

Futures Annual Report

We have published our Annual report for 2018 2019.

Some key findings include: 158 Level 2 qualifications were gained by 135 young people - 60 of those were GCSE equivalents 90% of Futures participants moved into education, training, employment or volunteering within 3 months of completing our programme.

Creative Futures Our Futures groups have been expressing themselves creatively, and a range of artwork was on display at our recent celebration event. One display, made by the Lis'Ards TQ Team, was a hanging mosaic of their experiences on the programme with each tile featuring words and images representing an outcome of the programme.

Participants from Futures Armagh group created masks. One student, Gabija, wanted to facilitate a discussion on how people may present a façade, masking how they are really feeling. She wished to convey that sometimes when people are struggling they do their best to look happy and it is important to get to know others around you properly so you can offer support if necessary.

Poetry Corner Don't look behind you

by Niamh McCormack

Lost and unsure I searched for a faint light, When my essence was prepared to give its final fight, In my soul I needed guaranteed direction, It's the only way I could provide my mind protection, Slowly I vulnerably opened my world and my heart, A new cycle, thought process, a path of discovery I can see start, Learning to alter my perception every day, It enables me to think in a more positive way, The paths of life are intertwined, To stimulate the thoughts in my mind, Positivity, dreams and hopes on the future I bestow, Sowing the seeds of tomorrow, I feel the self-belief grow.

New School Group Futures is delighted to welcome Newry High School group on board! Here they are pictured with one of their facilitators Alex.

We are so excited to be working with you!

Would you like to join Futures? Or write for the Fuse? Get in touch: futures@belfastmet.ac.uk

! t r a t S w e N , r a e Y w e N Are you aged 16-24? ure? t u F r u o y d in f o t e im t Is it mes m a r g o r p r o f g in it u r c We are still re Belfast! in 0 2 0 2 y r a u n a J g in t star

You could gain: new skills & qualifications, get ÂŁ8 per day, student , discount, childcare support, travel card residentials and more!

Interested...?

Contact: futures@belfastmet.ac.uk Tel: 02890265212