Author Archives: Valerie

Portadown gets active again in Summer 2019

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July saw the continuation of the Portadown Gets Active programme which aims to provide a positive and participatory response to the need to tackle holiday hunger and provide family support outside of school term time. 

The PGA summer programme is about fun, learning and food. It encourages young people to stay active during the summer months, attain a qualification and enjoy a healthy snack and lunch.

 

2019 also saw the 3rd Portadown Gets Active summer initiative get even bigger & better! Hosted in St. John the Baptist College, Oasis Youth Project in Portadown, lead community partner, worked closely with key partners to provide 9 days of activities, education and meals for around 140 children who were supported by a team of amazing Peer Mentors and Blue Crew peers.

Special thanks to all community and voluntary sector, statutory agencies, local schools and local government involved in the delivery of this year’s Portadown Gets Active programme and to the additional support provided by Craigavon-based Almac Group

 

Family Support NI – New, Improved Website

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The team at www.familysupportni.gov.uk are proud to announce the launch of a new and improved website, making it easier for people in Northern Ireland to find out about Family Support services and ALL REGISTERED childcare providers in NI. 

The Family Support NI website (www.familysupportni.gov.uk) is funded by the Health and Social Care Board and the Departments of Health and Education to provide information on all types of Family Support services, including ALL REGISTERED childcare, throughout Northern Ireland.

This is a unique on-line directory of local family support services including statutory, community and voluntary sectors.  It is designed to be used by front line staff, families and young people to enable them to access information about available services in Northern Ireland.

Details provided on the website include contact details such as name of service, address, telephone number, contact name, email address etc. There is also a brief overview of the service, including details about how it can be accessed/referrals.

New features and improvements include;

  • Improved ‘Childcare Search’ function – easy to use and with extra filters to meet each user’s requirements eg. vacancies available, School Pick-up, Registered for HMRC Tax Free Childcare; Offering a Breakfast Club, suitable for specific ages etc;
  • More helpful additional information for Families (eg. Financial Help for Childcare Costs, Benefits of registered Childcare; How to Find Registered Childcare; etc.)
  • Easier access to specific information that families need (how and where to access specific services e.g. Educational Support, Financial/Welfare Advice, Family Support and Housing etc.)
  • Translation Function – can be used to translate details of Family Support Services into a range of languages – this function is very useful to users who do not have English as their first language.
  • Listings of all Pre-School provision in NI (including Statutory Nursery Schools/Units)

If you require any more information about the website or would like some leaflets/posters, please contact us at info@familysupportni.gov.uk or Tel 0845 600 6483

A promotional animation clip outlining the functions/benefits can be viewed at :-

Overview of FSNI website

     Please follow us on Social Media ; @familysupportni              

Parenting NI – Time for Parents Support

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Parenting NI Time for Parents support and listening ear service is available to parents/carers in Antrim and Strabane over the summer.

This free service is available to anyone who would like to talk over any parenting issue in confidence. Individuals can ring our Freephone line 08088010722 to make an appointment – or if they give a professional permission to make a referral on their behalf, we can then make direct contact with the individual to arrange an appointment.

Download Strabane flyer here

Download Antrim Flyer here

Wheelie Great Success in West Belfast!

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Over the last six weeks Autism NI’s West Belfast Support Group supported children with a diagnosis of autism to learn how to ride a bike. The initiative, supported by the Belfast City Council Support for Sport: Small Development Grant, provided the children with an opportunity to ride a bike in a safe, supportive and structured environment.             

Aimed at enabling the children to cycle interdependently, the course provided a bespoke opportunity to work towards achieving an important milestone in the children’s lives.

L to R – Gregory Massey (Cycle Revolution), Oisin O’Rourke, Evren O’Prey, Eva McKeever, Rowan Mulholland, Kerry Boyd (CEO of Autism NI) and William Clarke

Autism NI CEO, Kerry Boyd, said: “It is fantastic to see so many of our children availing of such a fantastic initiative.  So many children take riding a bike for granted but for autistic children it means so much more as it supports the improvement of their gross motor skills and independence.  For this reason, I am so proud that the Balanceability initiative has been such a success and that the children have learned an important skill that will stay with them forever.’

Autism NI supports individuals and their families, and campaigns to raise awareness of Autism within the wider society. A local charity, it provides life-changing services for the 30,000 individuals living with Autism throughout Northern Ireland.

To find out more or for further information please call 028 9040 1729 or visit www.autismni.org.

Nominations Now Open for Diana Award

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It’s our favourite time of year at The Diana Award – nomination season! Which means that every day, we get to hear all about more incredible young people and the game-changing work they’re doing to transform people’s lives.

WHAT IS THE DIANA AWARD?

The Diana Award is the most prestigious accolade a young person can receive for their social action or humanitarian work. The Award is the longest running award for young people that is given to individuals and groups through a retrospective nomination process only. We believe this is special. Young people do not work towards the award, rather they demonstrate their suitability through their actions, without any expectation of reward. But we’ve been thinking – what if we miss someone? What if there are young people out there whose stories aren’t being told? Which is where you come in.

WHO CAN RECEIVE THE DIANA AWARD?

We are excited to invite you to shine a spotlight on an unsung hero by nominating a young person from your organisation. The Award is open to young people aged 9 – 25 who have been engaged in at least 12 months of activities, who are selflessly transforming the lives of others, often in the face of adversity. We know that there are many young people in Northern Ireland who fit this criteria and we believe that they deserve recognition on a global platform.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Young people who receive The Diana Award are presented with a personalised certificate and invited to attend a sparkling award ceremony, if located in the UK. Diana Award Holders are also presented with an invitation to Althorp House, Princess Diana’s childhood home. These invitations are gifted to Diana Award Holders in kind by Princess Diana’s, brother Earl Spencer, in recognition of their continuation of Diana’s legacy.

Organisations who make a successful nomination also gain the opportunity to raise their profile by being featured in The Diana Award Roll of Honour released to the media by The Diana Award in July every year. The Award is also a vehicle for inspiring many more young people to engage in social action, mobilising new generations to make a positive change in the world, as Princess Diana believed they could. Click here for a full list of the 2019 Diana Award Holders.

HOW DO I NOMINATE?

Nominations must be made before the 12 March 2020 deadline at https://diana-award.org.uk/nomination-centre/ where further information about the nomination process and our programmes can also be found. Attached is a nomination guideline document for more details on the nomination application. We would also welcome your support in helping us spread the word even further, encouraging others to nominate for The Diana Award so that we can celebrate the amazing things that your young people are doing!

Download Nominations Guide here