Pennyburn youth club programmes

08/04/2026

Day 2 of Our Easter Scheme 💛
Yesterday saw another fantastic day at our youth club, with 66 young people engaging in our universal services – proving just how vital it is to have the right support, in the right place at the right time.
Our young people continued with the first of our programmes, “Who Am I?” – a powerful session exploring identity and self-awareness. They reflected on how they act across different environments such as home, school, and the youth club, using a thermometer-style activity to express how these situations make them feel. They also explored positive coping skills and identified trusted people they can turn to for support.
Beyond the session, the club was buzzing with energy and connection. With the first hint of sunshine this year, football took over outside, while the ever-popular space hoppers were in full flight doubling as both fun and a seat for chats with passersby, who joined in the excitement with cheerful beeps from behind the safety of our fence 🚗🎉
Inside, creativity and play thrived as members: 🎨 Created clay models
🎱 Played pool and air hockey
🎲 Enjoyed games like snakes and ladders
🎮 Engaged on the Xbox
🌈 Got creative with outdoor chalking
And the best part? Not a phone in sight all safely tucked away, allowing young people to truly connect, engage, and just be young people.
Moments like these highlight exactly why our service matters providing a safe, supportive, and fun environment where young people can grow, express themselves, and build meaningful connections.

06/04/2026

Today marked the first day of our Easter scheme 2026 where our focus was on meeting the needs of our young people at the right time and in the right place. We delivered our first piece of group work with our 9–13-year-olds as part of the “Understanding Me” programme, beginning with Session 1: Who Am I? This created a safe and engaging space for young people to start exploring their identity and building confidence. Throughout the day, young people actively engaged in a wide range of activities both indoors and outdoors, including space hoppers, football, arts and crafts, games in the hall, Twister, table tennis, and pool. There were also opportunities for creative expression through nail art and hairdressing, alongside quieter spaces in the sensory room for those who wanted to relax and socialise. The variety of activities ensured that every young person could take part in a way that suited their interests and needs, promoting inclusion, wellbeing, and positive engagement. We could not have delivered this without the support of our senior members, who gave up their time during the school holidays to help 70 younger members engage, build friendships, and ensure safe staff-to-young-people ratios were maintained throughout the session. EA Youth Service Education Authority Marc Giboney Youth Work Alliance Outer West Youth Services Annemarie Bell Ràch AB Kevin Campbell Siobhan Lafferty Ciara Ferguson MLA Grace Deehan Niall Deeney Gerard Doherty Deirdre Lavery Ryan Elliott Catherine Carlin Stephen Quigley Yvonne Mckeever

25/03/2026

🚨 165,000+ young people rely on our vital services, yet we’ve just been handed a devastating 3-month funding cliff edge. This creates massive uncertainty for our dedicated staff and volunteers, and puts our most vulnerable at risk.

Young people are demanding safe spaces, youth workers, and late-night provision. Cutting these services is a false economy, it will cost us far more in justice and health down the line.

We need a secure, ring-fenced budget NOW. 🗣️

Read our Youth Charter : https://shorturl.at/29GXR

Please click here if you are an MLA or Local Councillor - https://shorturl.at/Q9uE5

Please Click here if you are a youth organisation or an individual - https://shorturl.at/li4Lb

18/02/2026

Annemarie Bell Kevin Campbell Ciara Ferguson MLA Pennyburn YC

18/02/2026

17/02/2026

Annemarie Bell Kevin Campbell Deirdre Lavery Ciara Ferguson MLA Outer West Youth Services Grace Deehan River Radio

📢 URGENT UPDATE: Youth Service Funding 2026-29
Youth Work Alliance has received a formal letter from the Education Authority (EA) outlining the budget position for the incoming year 2026-2027. This letter has been sent to all local and regional groups that applied under the 2026-29 funding scheme, and have progressed to the conditional offer stage of the application process.

While we now have an initial overview, the "interim" status of these allocations creates significant uncertainty for the groups that applied for long-term stability under the new scheme.

To advocate and seek protecting for the future of our sector, Youth Work Alliance is writing to the Education Minister and the Department of Education (DE) to seek urgent clarity on the following critical points:

Timeline: When will the full budget envelope will be confirmed so we can move away from "interim" risk?

Ringfencing: Will the youth budget be guaranteed at the £37m or 1.5% baseline?

Earmarking Intentions: Why is the youth services budget currently not earmarked? Is it the intention of the Department not to earmark or ringfence the youth service budget moving forward?

Application Lifespan: Does the DE acknowledge the current process as the valid basis for funding through 2026 - 2029?

EA Autonomy: Within a block grant, does EA have the authority to honour recommendations to maintain the budget at the 2025-26 level without explicit DE approval? Do they also have the authority to set the 2026 to 2027 budget inline with what was assessed as needed in the release of the 2026-2029 funding scheme? Furthermore, if this is set at the 2025-2026 year budget of these allocations be met? 3/12 of a budget in 25/26 is not the same as 3/12 of the budget in 26/27, how will this be met?

📑 Next Steps for Members
We understand the deep concern these updates cause for both local and regional providers. Youth Work Alliance will send out a comprehensive briefing paper to all members in due course. This will provide a deeper analysis of the EA letter and our next steps in seeking these answers.

Stay tuned for further updates.

17/02/2026

📢 URGENT UPDATE: Youth Service Funding 2026-29
Youth Work Alliance has received a formal letter from the Education Authority (EA) outlining the budget position for the incoming year 2026-2027. This letter has been sent to all local and regional groups that applied under the 2026-29 funding scheme, and have progressed to the conditional offer stage of the application process.

While we now have an initial overview, the "interim" status of these allocations creates significant uncertainty for the groups that applied for long-term stability under the new scheme.

To advocate and seek protecting for the future of our sector, Youth Work Alliance is writing to the Education Minister and the Department of Education (DE) to seek urgent clarity on the following critical points:

Timeline: When will the full budget envelope will be confirmed so we can move away from "interim" risk?

Ringfencing: Will the youth budget be guaranteed at the £37m or 1.5% baseline?

Earmarking Intentions: Why is the youth services budget currently not earmarked? Is it the intention of the Department not to earmark or ringfence the youth service budget moving forward?

Application Lifespan: Does the DE acknowledge the current process as the valid basis for funding through 2026 - 2029?

EA Autonomy: Within a block grant, does EA have the authority to honour recommendations to maintain the budget at the 2025-26 level without explicit DE approval? Do they also have the authority to set the 2026 to 2027 budget inline with what was assessed as needed in the release of the 2026-2029 funding scheme? Furthermore, if this is set at the 2025-2026 year budget of these allocations be met? 3/12 of a budget in 25/26 is not the same as 3/12 of the budget in 26/27, how will this be met?

📑 Next Steps for Members
We understand the deep concern these updates cause for both local and regional providers. Youth Work Alliance will send out a comprehensive briefing paper to all members in due course. This will provide a deeper analysis of the EA letter and our next steps in seeking these answers.

Stay tuned for further updates.

12/02/2026

Day Four of Five Midterm Scheme
Another fantastic day meeting young people’s needs at the right place and the right time. Members designed beautiful hand-printed Valentine’s message gifts for those they live with, showing care, creativity and thoughtfulness towards others. This activity encouraged self-expression and strengthened positive relationships at home.
Members participated in circle time, creating a safe and welcoming space for new members to feel included and confident to join in. It was a great opportunity to build trust, communication skills and a sense of belonging within the group.

Our intermediate and senior members were very active today, taking part in team challenges, relay races football and dodgeball. Many stepped into leadership roles, supporting younger members and taking responsibility for organising teams and encouraging fair play.

Throughout the day, members demonstrated resilience by trying new skills, developing their thinking skills and work-related skills. These experiences support their volunteering roles while still ensuring they enjoy being young people and having fun.

Today’s programme promoted creativity, inclusion, leadership, resilience and positive relationships continuing to meet our members’ developmental needs in a supportive and engaging environment as well as our family needs by opening at 8.30am to allow working parents to get to work on time.

12/02/2026

If you have completed your Level 4 Certificate in Youth Studies with YouthAction and Ulster University - Please take time to complete our survey and consider taking part in a focus group. Contact Kavya for more details 🥳

11/02/2026

Day Three of Our Mid-Term Programme
Day three began bright and early at 8.30am, with our first members arriving—supporting parents and carers to get to work on time while ensuring young people were welcomed into a safe, structured environment.
Our intermediate members completed their physical fitness course, with a reflective group session scheduled for the morning to explore what they learned. This encourages self-awareness, confidence building, and the ability to recognise personal progress and achievement.
Other intermediate members took part in hair care sessions, learning practical skills such as curling, washing and blow-drying. Nail care was a huge hit across all age groups, with members enjoying the opportunity to choose colours, express creativity, and build positive peer relationships in a relaxed setting.
Xbox remained popular among all age groups, with a one-game limit per young person. This approach promoted fairness, patience, and early development of time management skills, while ensuring everyone had equal access.
Our younger members made great use of the sports hall, engaging in active games and burning off energy in a fun and supportive space. This supported physical wellbeing, teamwork, and positive social interaction.
Overall Impact
By offering a balanced programme of physical activity, skill development, creative expression and structured play, we continue to meet the needs of our members while they are off school. The day supported improved wellbeing, social connectedness, confidence, and life skills—while providing a safe, welcoming environment at the right time and place for families in our community.

04/11/2025

🎨🧶 Fundraiser craft Fair at Pennyburn Youth Club! 🧵🎁

We’re keen to gain interest in a Craft Fair happening at Pennyburn Youth Club on Saturday 29th November, from 1pm to 3pm!

🌟 Calling all crafters, makers, and sellers! 🌟
If you’d like to take part and showcase your handmade goods, we have tables available for just £10 each.

It’s a great opportunity to sell your creations, meet other local makers, and kick off the festive season with some community spirit and creativity!

📅 Date: Saturday 29th November
🕐 Time: 1pm – 3pm
📍 Location: Pennyburn Youth Club
💷 Cost per table: £10

To book a table or find out more, just send us a message or drop by the club!

✨ Come along for a fun afternoon of crafts, gifts, and local talent — everyone welcome! ✨