National Lottery windfall for Antrim & Newtownabbey projects

Rathfern Antrim and The Newtownabbey Young People’s Directive project received £197,824.

It is supporting young Newtownabbey people aged eight to 21 years from the Rathfern, Fernagh, Kingspark, Monkstown and Glengormley areas over three years. These young people are facing issues including drug misuse, criminal activities, poverty and bullying.

The project will use the £197,824 grant to run activities including a breakfast club, after-school club, youth clubs, counselling, personal development, life skills, training and awareness sessions. Activities are taking place in Rathfern Social Activity Centre and are increasing employability, improving mental and physical health, boosting confidence and self-esteem, and helping young people set positive goals.

Family Care Adoption Services, which is working is the Antrim area, has been awarded a £500,000 grant from The National Lottery Community Fund.

The five-year Life Story Project is supporting young people aged 11-22 from across Northern Ireland who have been separated from their birth families and don’t have information about their past.

Project staff gather information on the young person’s life and work with them to create a Life Story in a medium chosen by the young person. The story includes the young person’s thoughts, memories, artwork, and key events and anecdotes about the young person collated by the project worker. This helps the young people and their carers to understand and resolve any issues and events from the young person’s life. It’s improving their wellbeing and sense of identity.

Extern Northern Ireland also received a £327,327 grant. Their three-year Moving Forward – Moving On project is providing young people aged 16–24 with pre-employment training and a mentoring support programme. The project is focusing on young people in the Antrim, Belfast and Newtownabbey council areas who are not in employment, education or training, and/or have a history of offending behaviour. It will support them to take part in activities to teach them new skills, including an OCN Level One Choices Programme. It will also support them in training, education or a work placement.

Kate Beggs, The National Lottery Community Fund Northern Ireland Director, said: “It’s great to see National Lottery money being used by people who are taking the lead in developing great ideas to help their communities thrive.”