YOUTH ACTION

<%@LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> YOUTH ACTION

			volunteers

VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE NEWRY AND ARMAGH AREA BASED STRATEGY

What’s Available?

Involvement in Peer Action Research Group
Practical experience of working with young people in leadership capacities
Supporting the regular monitoring and updating of the ABS web site
Involvement in YouthAction NI Youth Governance Group
Opportunities for involvement in European seminars and conferences
Supporting consultations on policy responses to ensure the representation of young people’s views

Recognition

Young people’s volunteering is supported in many ways, including personal goal and action plans and agreeing support and supervision structures. Each volunteer has the opportunity to recognise their contribution through the Youth Achievement Award Scheme at either Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum level.

CASE STUDY
(PEER RESEACHER within Newry and Armagh)

The Peer Research Forum is an open group of young people aged 17 years to 25 years who are supported as volunteers to undertake a variety of ongoing consultations with other young people and practitioners throughout the Newry and Armagh area. The Forum is supported both individually and as a group, by the Youth Worker and the University of Ulster at Jordanstown. The Peer Research Forum is also a key informant in developing collaborative strategies and actions for improving services and initiatives for young people throughout the area.

Q.1 Why did you get involved in the peer research group?

When I first read about the recruitment for the peer research group I suppose the thing that most attracted me was the fact that the research was being carried out in conjunction with the University of Ulster. My ambition is to become a youth worker and I thought this would be the perfect chance to develop my skills that I need for good youth work practice.

Q. 2 What did you understand peer research to be about?

Before I began the peer research group my knowledge and understanding was quite limited and I wasn’t sure what it was really about. However, after my first meeting things were made clearer. I now knew what we were about and what our aims and objectives were.

Q. 3 Is peer research what you expected?

In the beginning my expectations were limited as I did not know what exactly it was about; but this was made much clearer after the first meeting. I did expect it to be much tougher, but after we were given our efficient training it made the job much easier.

Q. 4 What are the benefits to you individually of getting involved?

I feel that I have developed greatly from this project, as I feel I have grown in confidence as well as having developed my skills as a youth worker. This in turn helped me on the path to obtaining a youth work degree.

Q. 5 What are the benefits to your community and other young people? (Now and in a few years’ time)

At first I thought it would be another research group who would do nothing further. However, as time went on I learned that this was not the case, as programmes were being developed and action was taken. This is of great benefit to young people as they can see that they are being listened to and that action is being taken to facilitate their needs.

Q. 6 What do you think you will do now as a result of the peer research group?

Because I was involved in the research group, I feel that I have developed more as a youth worker and this gave me the confidence to further my youth work studies and pursue my degree.

Q. 7 What has this experience taught you about young people and their issues?

Before the research was completed one of the things I believed was that young people from rural areas would have different issues and problems.

Q. 8 Do you think peer research is similar to volunteering? (Differences and similarities)

In some ways it is as you are volunteering your time and energy. However, having done different types of volunteering for four years I felt a major difference was that you were very much appreciated for the work you did and you were also getting something out of it e.g. EDI Training.

Q. 9 Would all young people engage in a peer research approach?

I felt that young people were definitely more comfortable with the fact that their peers were completing the research. I felt that they answered more honestly and participated better than they would with adults.

Q. 10 Is it only for the studious and keen?

No, definitely not. At no point (excluding, now this is worse than school!) was any member of the group put under pressure to complete academic work that they may not feel comfortable with. Most of the research was completed in a fun and informal way and thus everyone could become involved.

Q. 11 What helped your involvement in the peer research group?

I felt the main thing that helped my involvement with this group was the fantastic support network we had throughout. It was always made fun and never a chore.

Q. 12 What was your actual research?

My research involved two consultations with groups of young people.

Q. 13 What did you find?

I found that most young people faced the same problems and issues and that they both had the same needs.

Q. 14 Was the research specific?

My first part of the research was specific as it was centred around the document. However, my second piece of research was much more free-flowing and less specific.

Q. 15 Was the research practical?

It was very practical as it was always done through informal methods and it was always made fun and enjoyable.

Peer Researchers


Adina Devlin		Davey Manish


Eimear McElroy		Billy Armstrong


Aoibhinn Loye		Catherine Mallon


Aoibhinn Loye		Peter Halligan

Arlene Bradley Laura Devlin Mark Cochrane