Award for cross-community project

The group's 3D Lurgan Project was named joint winner in the Peace Building Award at the Youth Council for Northern Ireland's annual awards.

This cross-community project brought young people together between the ages of 15 and 17 to discuss issues of division in Lurgan.

They created a 3D model of Lurgan using graffiti art to show the different areas.

Richard Dougherty, youth reach development officer with the project said the model was the end result, but the important aspect of the project was that it gave young people from different backgrounds the opportunity to work together.

He said: "It was an honour to have been recognised at the awards.

"The idea of the project was to map out the town highlighting the different Catholic and Protestant areas, neutral spaces and where people felt they were safe

"The young people wanted to promote Lurgan as a single town rather than the divided north and south we always hear about.

"At the end of the project the main aspect to emerge was that Lurgan has potential.

"Young people from both sides of the community realised they could work together and build on that progress."

Now in their fifth year, the awards pay tribute to the commitment, success, dedication and energies of young people and those who work with them. Sponsored by the Department of Education and the Youth Council for Northern Ireland, the awards were open to both individuals and groups across nine categories of youth and adult volunteering.

Awards organiser Karen Witherspoon, from the Youth Council for Northern Ireland, said: “Every year we have more and more people and groups becoming involved in the awards and we welcome this opportunity to honour their dedicated work in this sector.

"Year-on-year the judges’ decisions become even more difficult as everyone involved contributes so much to their communities."