m-power

Highlights

The resilience and adaptability of youth workers when faced with the pandemic. Moving work and connecting with young people online was phenomenal and life changing to some of the young people and the brilliant youth workers supported them through it.

Development of online Good Relations Resources using video and visual arts to be shared with all staff team.

Continuing to recruit, and recruitment and momentum of the programme is growing steadily.

Working in Schools and Communities are supporting and developing diverse ways of working and supporting youth work staff skills development.

Links with JBO’s (Jobs and Benefits Offices) has been developed to support community engagement.

Where our relationships with JBO’s is good, the into employment stats for young people is as much as 41%.

Concrete

343 completers verified and audited by SEUPB (Funders)

167 current participants

OCN Qualifications delivered in Citizenship, RAPP and Personal Development

Up to 41% into employment stats in some areas

New Horizons

It is fairly certain that we shall be facing the departure of at least some staff as the last year of the programme dawns. It will require juggling skills to ensure that staff are supported and that programme work continues with the usual quality as gaps in the m-power team open up.

Peace Plus is a revenue stream we are keen to look at to continue the programme and the great work being completed at this time.

M-POWER PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK OCTOBER 2020

M-Power participant 1:

Where to start... mPower has meant the world to me more than anyone can ever imagine. It's been a bit of a lifesaver. I've struggled with agoraphobia, social anxiety and depression since I was 14. For nine years I've been battling this. I wouldn't leave the confines of the house due to the terror I would face from within. Your world becomes extremely small. While throughout my time at mPower it has been terribly scary and have struggled throughout. I've had two amazing Youth Leaders to help guide me through the program. Without either of them, I would not have joined nor stayed for the length of the program. It brought me a sense of community. For the first time, I felt heard and understood. It's been a love-hate relationship with mPower. Every moment at mPower has been scary. My best friend anxiety has been with me the whole way but in turn, I found people that I could open up to with my struggles. Which has not been an easy thing for me to do. With that being said it's been oddly enjoyable. Whether it's been the sense of community, talking to the leaders, activities or the range of topics covered. We did a program on mental health and risk management. Whereby we learnt in talking about a hard subject and also how to manage risks that we may face. We had various talks on mental health subjects, crate stacking while attached to ropes, high ropes and zipline. People from Common Youth came in and talked about sex education, which has to be one of the greatest and most interesting talks around the subject I've ever had. We had days out at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, had talks with people from the fire service and air service. We helped at a food bank which was a great experience into how it works but also how much the community needs it. We also had residentials. The first time was to go to Newcastle to do archery, which was great fun. Then later in the program we went to Newcastle and had a sleepover at Greenhill YMCA whereby we also took part if various activities. They included doing low ropes, building a bridge, night walk blindfolded and making a campfire. The low ropes were great fun but also being huddled around the campfire was equally as good. We also did an OCN for Personal Health and Wellbeing which has been really fun. Most of all I've enjoyed just being amongst people and having chats with the leaders. I've found it quite aspiring being with them and seeing what they do. In turn, I would like to be able to have a job whereby I also help people. I would also like to raise money and awareness for various charities in relation to mental health.

M-Power participant 2:

This program has taught me that I should reach out more to people rather than battling it on your own and that there are people out there that get it and do care. I've learnt that it is possible to trust people and also to feel a connection with people. I'm more courageous, brave and determined than I ever thought of myself to be. For me, proud is a strong word that I'm trying to get used to, but I guess I am proud of going to mPower and being among people. Doing the zipline was something else and doing it backwards... Oh my, but it was an amazing experience and would do it again. Taking on new heights 'literally' and new places. I want to experience more adventures and activities than ever before. It has left me feeling hungry for more but more than anything I want to help people along the way. For most of my life, I've felt all alone but mPower has shown me that isn't always the case. Words can't truly describe nor will they do it justice to what I've felt and experienced before and during mPower. It was more than just fun for me. It was about connecting and engaging with others and myself. I've found the leaders truly inspirational. They and this program has been amazing which will be forever dear to me for the help they have given me.

M-power for me has been an amazing experience I’m sad to say good bye, it’s also a shame that the group I was with never got too finish probably as off this pandemic we are all fighting to get threw.

The first day I walked in to m-power to meet the guys it was warm and just felt soo comfortable and the energy was all there. From day 1 till now I’ve definitely been able to grow, build confidence and experience things I never thought I would do I’m so grateful and happy I joined m-power definitely one off the best things I’ve done,

So many memories amazing opportunities and cool people to chill with and just talk to eachother about deep topics or something simple like, how your morning was, I wish I could spend more time at m-power cause when the week ended I couldn’t wait for Monday again to see the guys again and to learn something new are just to sit and chill talk and have a coffee

I hope I can come back to volunteer when the world gets healthy again and things are normal. Too maybe help new people out and tell them about my experience and how relaxing, fun and safe this place is to be it’s like a small family and the leaders there are the most amazing people ever so kind and wonderful to be around easy to get along with and welcoming.

I’ll never forget m-power and the people there I hope to stay in contact and keep in touch with everyone there, I could write a whole book here but I think I’ll leave it here and thank you.

M-Power participant 3:

When I first came to M Power I was very apprehensive about meeting other people and wether or not I was going to fit in, also what they would think of my personality. Once I started attending M-Power started to become more comfortable with the people around me and started making some amazing friendships with coolest people.

As part of my course I was given the opportunity to do forest school in Mount Stewart National Trust with P6's and P7's for six weeks which was a lot of fun also I got paid every time I went which was a bonus, I got to build bug hotels and make forest dens with the kids, which was very interesting but also very messy.

If you were to ask me what scared me the most in my mpower journey it was when we had to do the leap of faith on a high ropes course in the local leisure centre and when we had to do the zip line in Galloway, activity centre once actually did both those things I was fine, it was the build up to it that had my heart in my mouth.

The one thing I really enjoyed the most with M-Power was when we went on our residential to Grabill in Newcastle, the way to describe it was like going on holiday with your friends, despite the cold weather I had a lot of fun cracking jokes with everyone and working hard to keep everyone safe during our team challenges by listening to instructions. We had responsibilities of our own to attend whilst we were there which was to set the table every breakfast /Lunch / Dinner and made sure to clean up everywhere. There was never a dull day when we were there from one of our leaders playing table spoons to talking about the meaning of life. it was a blast.

M-Power has definitely given me a lot of new found confidence when making friends with people which was often a struggle for me, but since coming to the course I have learnt to not be so awkward with communicating with others

There has been a lot of memories I will take with me from this journey but I think of the main ones has to be when our group went to Ganaway activity centre and learnt how to do clay pigeon shooting which I have never done before and take part in a team challenge that involved building a crate tower and not falling off which was fail but still hilarious.

M-Power participant 4:

My favourite part of M-Power was coming in and sitting with everyone, before someone came to talk or in between or when we were all just sitting eating lunch. Sitting with a cup of tea and eating lunch was the highlight of my day.

I think I've changed as I have become more confident in myself. I'm not as scared to go out on my own and I'm less afraid to talk to people I'm not that familiar with.

The biggest challenge was just going and not chickening out, knowing that at least Aoife and Jacqui would be there was a big help.

A memory I'll take away with me is sitting at the dinner table during residential when some of us tried to learn how to yodel from a youtube video.