The Bytes Project

03/04/2026

Access for All: Youth Views on Inclusive Resources & Opportunities!

Access shouldn’t depend on where you live! Young people told us - 65% of under 14s feel local spaces are open to everyone, but older teens spot more barriers, especially transport.

See the NI takeaways and what to fix locally. Read: https://voicesforimpact.ai/access-for-all/

Explore the youth voice platform behind the data: https://voicesforimpact.ai/

02/04/2026

Want youth voice data you can actually use in planning and funding bids?

Register your group on Voices for Impact, run short youth voice surveys, then view your group’s results in one place.

Register ➜ https://voicesforimpact.ai/submit-your-group/

After approval, create your account to filter results by your group.

Voices for Impact is a digital space capturing children’s and young people’s views across the UK & Ireland.

01/04/2026

April is PMDD Awareness Month 💛
Did you know…

🧠 Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of PMS that can seriously impact mental health, emotions, and daily life

📊 Around 1 in 20 women who menstruate are thought to experience PMDD

⏳ Symptoms usually appear in the luteal phase (the 1–2 weeks before a period) and ease once the period starts

⚠️ PMDD can include:
Intense mood swings
Anxiety or panic
Low mood or hopelessness
Irritability or anger
Extreme fatigue
Difficulty concentrating

For some, it can feel overwhelming, but you’re not alone, and support is available.
💬 If this sounds like you, it’s okay to reach out:
Speak to your GP
Talk to a trusted youth worker or staff member at Bytes

Reach out to:
(Call 0800 1111 or online chat)
(Call 0808 808 8000)
(Text, call or webchat for under 25s)

✨ Tracking your cycle and how you feel can really help you understand your body and get the right support.
💛 You deserve to feel understood, supported, and safe every day of the month.

01/04/2026

Free training for NI youth workers & educators!

Want a practical way to embed youth voice in your work and use real‑time data to shape programmes and evidence need?

Get hands‑on with the Voices for Impact platform in one of our 4 free online sessions. All sessions are open to anyone. Dates & registration links below:

16 April 2026, @18:00 → Register: https://vfinionline.eventbrite.com/

23rd April → Register: https://VFIWalesOnline.eventbrite.com

14th May → Register: https://VfIScotlandOnline.eventbrite.com

15th June → https://www.eventbrite.com/e/voices-for-impact-trainingonline-roi-tickets-1985724527516?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Bring your questions, leave with practical know‑how you can use the very next day.

YMCA Ireland

30/03/2026

Our 2026 Regional Translink Youth Forum is officially underway!

Over the weekend we completed our first two sessions, we got to know each other, set the tone for the year, and explored the Forum’s roles and responsibilities.

Thanks to Georgia from for joining us and sharing updates on the YOTI proof‑of‑age work and the yLink Card.

It was great to host our sessions in Grand Central Station, and we were able to get a tour from Danielle, who showcased the station’s accessibility features. We also caught a glimpse of the new youth‑inspired street art being created outside.

We’re starting this year with an incredible group of young people, and we can’t wait to see the impact they’ll make on public transport across Northern Ireland.

26/03/2026

There has been an expression of interest for Lego Club which we are currently running 3.30-5pm on Wednesdays. If you're a parent/guardian and feel this would be of interest to your child or young person we have created an expression of interest form which is in the link provided below. Please note this is a parent pack only. If you're a child or young person wanting to attend there is a registration QR in our centre.

https://forms.office.com/e/uMeh7uLcCv

24/03/2026

We were delighted to deliver training for our Voices for Impact platform, funded by in Wales last week. There was excellent discussion on how to use the platform and how it can be embedded within a Welsh context.

Thank you to everyone who attended, and to ORINI for delivering the session.

We have more training sessions coming up across NI, Wales, Scotland and ROI. These are perfect for anyone working with children and young people who is interested in a digital way to capture their voice and access meaningful data for youth provision planning or funding applications. If you want to register please get in touch.

23/03/2026

Bytes are excited to be entering our second year collaborating with on the Translink Youth Forum!

As part of this work, we’re establishing Local Translink Youth Forums - groups based within local youth work settings who will take part in six interactive sessions to share their views on the public transport issues that matter to young people.

Our first 2026 group kicked off on Saturday in our Bytes Youth Hub Glengormley with an introductory session - and the engagement from the young people was fantastic!

If you are interested in setting up a Local Translink Forum in your youth work provision, get in touch and we can discuss.

22/03/2026

As part of our commitment to empowering youth voice, we’re delighted to continue our partnership with Translink through the Translink Youth Forum throughout 2026.

Over January and February, we’ve been busy planning the launch of a new Regional Youth Forum alongside several Local Youth Forums and we’re super excited that these groups will soon begin their work!

We’ll be sharing regular updates as the project progresses, and we’re pleased to share our January & February update with you below.

22/03/2026

Delighted to see this Bytes Youth Hub Glengormley keep up the good work on CyberQuest

A brilliant night for Emmet’s CyberQuest group in Glengormley, who after weeks of hard work and dedication have achieved their ICDL qualification. It’s a great achievement and shows the effort and teamwork they’ve put in throughout the journey, and now they’re already looking ahead to taking on further qualifications and building on what they’ve started. Well done to everyone involved!

02/03/2026

Great update from our Bytes Mid & East Antrim Youth Hub keep up the good work!