Until now, the likes of The Bridge Youth Centre, Monkstown Village Initiatives, Rathcoole Football Club (in conjunction with Listening Ear), Rathcoole Youth Centre and Monkstown Boxing Club have been working independently with their own young people but it was always intended that individual groups would be brought together to share their experiences, learn from each other and plan how THRiVE might best listen to the voice of children and young people moving forward.

So, early on Saturday 20^th April 24 young people and their youth leaders gathered at the Dunanney Centre before heading north to the Manor House Residential Centre in Moneymore.

Having quickly found their rooms and settled in, the group were transported to The Jungle NI where, after a delicious lunch they set about completing the 3-hour Team Building ‘Crystal Challenge.’

Returning to the Manor House after another meal at The Lazy Lama the focus shifted to group work sessions across the rest of Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Facilitated by Jim Peacock, Senior Voice and Influence Worker for Barnardo’s NI, and Claire Humphrey, Project Co-ordinator, THRIVE Newtownabbey, the young people on sharing their experiences of the process so far, before looking forward: coming up with ideas for developing the capacity of individual groups to work together and how this might impact within THRiVE and across Newtownabbey.

Thanks to Eurospar Rathcoole for donating the items for our lunch on the Sunday, and Belfast Mini-Coaches for getting us safely to and from the residential.

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A particular highlight of the morning was the opportunity for parents and young people to speak about their experiences of both the BOOST programme in local Primary Schools and the In Your Corner project at Monkstown Boxing Club, in particular, how both have improved learning and achievement and boosted the confidence and wellbeing of the children and young people taking part.

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