At present we provide a service to in excess of 100 young people and their parents weekly. We encourage the young people to appreciate themselves and their peers, and seek to help them realise their potential. We provide after-school clubs that assist in enhancing the personal, social, and educational development of the individual. We strive to create a safe environment through these clubs. Through innovative programme design our ultimate aim is to assist and support young people and their parents
The project aims are to:
- Meet the needs of young people in the 5 – 13 year old age group.
- Break the negative cycles of previous generations
- Combat early school leaving
- Promote education and assist in the journey to college.
- Assist parents through clubs and provide programmes for them to assist their children
- Meet the needs of people with disabilities in the community
- Liaise with other groups in the area
- Provide leadership training and thereby develop peer leadership in the community
The New Life for Youth Group begins work with young people in their primary school and continues with them up to the beginning of secondary school. The target group is young people ranging from 5 years to 13 years of age. Young people in in primary school come to after-schools clubs once a week.
As the young people progress into secondary school we encourage them to continue participation through Sphere 17 – the Regional Youth Service. This is very important as there is no main secondary school within the area and thus, the sixth class cohort is split between ten different secondary schools. Therefore, the programmes which are faciliated by Sphere 17 provide a safe environment for these young people to meet and interact with their friends from primary school and thereby help to foster a sense of positive friendship among them; helping them to appreciate their area.
The New Life Centre also supports and promotes the Listen Project – a collaborative project with Sphere 17, Target (Donaghmede) and the Northside Partnership aimed at providing a listening service to young people aged 12 – 17.