Annual celebration held to mark young people’s achievements

INCLUDE Youth’s ‘Give and Take’ programme hosted its annual celebration event in the Fir Trees Hotel on Thursday.

Held in partnership with the Western Health and Social Care Trust, the event saw young people from Derry, Strabane and Omagh, come together to mark all their incredible achievements throughout the year.

From completing training and qualifications, partaking in volunteering, social actions and work placements, the day celebrated the fantastic journey of growth each young person has been on.

There was a fantastic atmosphere in the room as the young people gathered to hear from special guests Tommy Canning (Northlands Centre), Include Youth’s patron, musician and comedian Emer Maguire, and former Give and Take participant and performer, Kevin McDaid. In Your Space Circus Skills also provided entertainment for young people to engage with making it a day to remember.

Diane Hill, Include Youth CEO commented, “I am thrilled to join today’s celebration acknowledging the remarkable achievements, resilience and personal growth of the young people. This day not only celebrated their accomplishments but also highlighted the importance of recognising and nurturing the potential within each individual young person. An truly inspiration day!”

Natasha Duddy, head of Service for Children Looked After and Leaving Care Western Health and Social Care Trust added, “This celebration of young people, showcasing all of their amazing achievements was absolutely wonderful! What made it even more special was the young people that were involved in the planning and hosting, as well as being some of the lead entertainers. The other entertainers and staff supporting the young people, helped bring the day together to be a success.”

Give and Take is a regional youth employability programme within the YouthStart partnership. YouthStart’s Give and Take programme has received £6m from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The progamme adopts a youth work approach and aims to build young people’s skills for life, learning and work.