Young people show they have heart!

NINETEEN members of the Culnady Friday night youth club (FN830) completed a five week training course in emergency response procedures. Their successes came about as part of a highly innovative series of experiences co-ordinated by Presbyterian youth worker Wilson Cochrane who leads up the FN830 organisation.

In recent weeks the lucky young people have enjoyed information and activity events which have a very strong community focus and with attendances of up to thirty young members, the scheme has been a resounding success. Mr Cochrane said he was delighted with how the scheme is progressing, “I have been very, very encouraged with the response of our local young people at FN830. They have supported our events really well and have, in the main, taken part with interest and enthusiasm,” he said.

And he added that he wanted to recognise the huge contribution of the parent helpers who form an essential part of the team at Culnady.

In recent weeks they have had visits from Russell Young of the PSNI, who presented a talk on drug awareness relevant to the dangers young people face in society today. The young people have enjoyed other interesting events such as the Healthy Eating evening organised and presented by Lorna Torrens, when there was plenty for the leaders and young people to enjoy and learn together.

“I was very keen to include an element of life skills in our work at FN830 and a parental suggestion that Heartstart be included was followed up. It was fantastic that some excellent work had already been carried out by our super local primary schools so it followed on well that our scheme could be seen as either a refresher course for some or as a new start for others,” he explained.

He said the guest presenter, Garry McIlwaine, made the evenings interesting for everyone.

The successful FN830 trainees are: Lauren Kyle, Jenny Irwin, Sarah Brice, Becks McKeown, Ellen Campbell, Megan Campbell, Laura Bolton, Aimee Stockman, Andrea Cochrane, Hannah Brooks, Heather Irwin, Hannah Irwin, Kimberley Graham, Kathryn Bolton, Sarah Bolton, Gareth Connell, Aaron Connell and star performer, Lee Kirkpatrick.

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