Issue 150 – Southern Area FYI – 12th June 2025

Welcome to Issue 150 of our fortnightly newsletter, ‘FYI’ (For Your Information).

Image with text promoting Southern Area Locality Planning Groups FYI (For Your Information)

Image with text promoting Southern Area Locality Planning Groups FYI (For Your Information)

Download Issue 150

(Note: Newsletter will download directly to your device.  Look out for the pop-up box and click on open file when it appears)

There are various Awareness Weeks taking place this week and so there is lots of information contained in today’s newsletter about events, workshops, etc. which are being actively promoted, including those relating to (amongst others): Infant Mental Health Awareness Week, Men’s Health Week, Loneliness Awareness Week and National Carers’ Week.

Also, see Page 3 for further details on how to send us your submissions for the final ‘Summer Is Coming’ special edition this month.

Please be sure to share any relevant details with parents/carers and colleagues with whom you work, to help us spread the word about all the great opportunities which are available in the Southern Trust Area.

Stay connected!

Locality Development Team, Southern Area

Newry, Mourne and Down Youth Voice Recruitment

Image with purple and blue colour background. QR code and text promoting Newry, Mourne & Down Youth Voice recruitment

Image with purple and blue colour background. QR code and text promoting Newry, Mourne & Down Youth Voice recruitment

 

Young People aged 16 to 21 years who live in the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area are invited to apply to be part of the Youth Voice programme.

Newry, Mourne and Down Youth Voice will provide young people with the opportunity to:

  • Engage with key decision makers
  • Have their say on local issues
  • Meet new friends
  • Be a representative voice for young people in their area 
  • Be involved and pro-actively engaged with local decision-making processes

This two-year programme will be facilitated by the Community Planning Partnership within Newry, Mourne and Down District Council in collaboration with the Education Authority Youth Service along with other statutory partners.

The Youth Voice group will meet on a weekly basis to identify and take forward common issues relating to young people in the local area along with opportunities for residentials and to participate in study visits to UK or Ireland.

Everyone is invited to apply regardless of background, abilities, or interests.

We require representatives from right across the geographical spread and underrepresented groups to ensure the diverse needs of young people in the area are heard.  

To apply:

Please click here: https://forms.office.com/e/wkUJXjsGbp

For more information visit: Youth Council

Issue 149 – Southern Area FYI – 29th May 2025

Welcome to Issue 149 of our fortnightly newsletter, ‘FYI’ (For Your Information).

Image with text promoting Southern Area Locality Planning Groups FYI (For Your Information)

Image with text promoting Southern Area Locality Planning Groups FYI (For Your Information)

Download Issue 149

(Note: Newsletter will download directly to your device.  Look out for the pop-up box and click on open file when it appears)

This is the first of 3 special editions to promote upcoming summer activities for children and young people in the Southern Area. You will see a call for submissions on Page 4 and we are very keen to also take ideas for no / very low cost activities that families can do over the summer months with their children.

We have also included our School Uniform Toolkit again on Page 3 – A free practical resource for use by any group who want to set up and run a recycling scheme in their area.  

Stay connected!

Locality Development Team, Southern Area

MYBnk FREE Live Webinar Lesson

MyBnk is hosting a FREE live webinar lesson to give teens the tools to stay safe in today’s digital world. Join us for The Big Money Ready Lesson on Thursday 26th June!

This 45-minute interactive session will cover:

Online scams

Phishing

In-game scams

Shopping scams

By the end of the lesson, learners will know some of the different types of online scams, be able to recognise key features of online scams, and know actions that can be taken if they have been scammed or are worried they have been scammed.

Event Details:
What
: The Big Money Ready Lesson – Financial Scams & Digital Safety
When: Thursday, 26th June 2025
Time: 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
Where: Online (Microsoft Teams)
Who it’s for: Secondary schools, youth organisations, and young people aged 11–18
Cost: Completely FREE

Our goal is simple: help the next generation become money smart and scam safe. Whether you’re a teacher, youth worker, parent, or someone who supports young people — this is an opportunity to equip them with knowledge that truly protects.

Signup and more info here: https://www.mybnk.org/big-money-lesson/

Safety Nets: Social Security for Families in a Devolved UK

Image showing 2 people and row of houses.Text - Is there something you'd like to share about your experience with benefits?

Image showing 2 people and row of houses. Text – Is there something you’d like to share about your experience with benefits?

The research team which includes six universities from across the UK would really appreciate your help in spreading the word. It explores how benefits vary across all 4 countries of the UK and how this impacts families with dependent children. 

As a central part of the project, we’re holding a series of 14 online discussion workshops with parents and carers in receipt of benefits to hear about their experiences and what needs to change. The workshops are open to parents/carers across the UK who receive at least one UK benefit, such as Universal Credit, PIP, or Tax Credits, or who are receiving asylum support. 

The discussions will take place in small, friendly online groups where participants can share their personal experiences and ideas for policy change. To thank them for their time, we are offering £50 in Love2Shop vouchers for each 2.5 hour workshop they attend, with the opportunity to take part in up to two workshops on different topics relating to social security (e.g. employment support, free school meals, welfare mitigations).

Uisce from the research team would be delighted to arrange a Zoom call if you’d like to discuss this further and can be reached on 07552 285828 or safety-nets-project@york.ac.uk

 

Image with text and QR code

Image with text and QR code