We currently offer three cross-community drop-in sessions per week, three cross-community activities per week including sport, arts and craft, drama/dance and IT themed sessions and two good relations projects per week.
Over the past few years the Girdwood Shared Youth programme has used the Youth Space in Girdwood to build on, consolidate and embed peace building and good relations work amongst young people across North Belfast. During this time our project - Girdwood Shared Youth Space - has focused on attracting a cross-community mix of young people into the Girdwood Youth Space and encouraged their participation in cross-community activities and programmes.
All of the work of the Girdwood Shared Youth programme is overseen by the Girdwood Youth Forum, a group of young people from the Lower Oldpark, Lower Shankill, Lower Cliftonville and Newlodge areas of North Belfast. These young people have a vision of Girdwood as a shared safe place for all local young people and have helped design and develop the Girdwood Shared Youth programme to ensure this vision can be realised.
“It was great to have a cross-community summer programme to participate in, proving that not all local young people want to stand and riot at the Cliftonpark Avenue interface – some of us want to make friends with the otherside” – Young leader and volunteer on the Girdwood cross-community summer scheme.
“The peace walls group has helped me gain friendships on both sides of the community and come together as one. It has helped me build my confidence when speaking out. I have also gained qualifications in youth work which is great as it will help me out with what I want to do with my career”– Participant in the Youth Champions programme
“Not everyone is the same, so we shouldn’t judge them – but it’s harder to do that when you live on an interface” – Young person who attended the Girdwood cross-community summer scheme
We love our community, so feel free to get in touch.
185 Cliftonville Road, Belfast, BT146JZ, United Kingdom
Call 02890 749147
Open today | 09:00 – 17:00 |