annual report 2009 pdf

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In our last report we commented on the work of theDepartment of Education (DE) and Education andSkills Authority Implementation Team (ESAIT)regarding their ongoing work in developing the neworganisation. It is with some concern that a yearlater there is still a lack of clarity in relation to howyouth work will be embedded into the newAuthority and the potential nature of therelationships with the voluntary youth sector.

To date the Education Bill establishing ESA has stillto be agreed by the Assembly and it must bequestioned when the Authority will be up andrunning.

The year has seen DE engage with the sectoraround a range of issues that will impact uponESA’s delivery of youth services in the future andYouthnet carried out extensive consultations withour members on behalf of DE to inform thedevelopment of new Priorities for Youth Work.

We also engaged with DE on discussions aroundhow the voluntary youth sector would berepresented in any new arrangements. We arecurrently undertaking a consultation process toidentify how all elements of the voluntary youthsector can be represented on the emerging policyand operational forums which are being created byDE and ESA.

Youthnet has also worked with our partners in theYouth Council for Northern Ireland, the Educationand Library Boards and the Northern Ireland YouthForum in the development of a set of papers whichwill seek to influence the policy framework for theyouth sector. These have been well received byDE.

Chairperson’sReview

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As a direct result of our membership conference, theUniversity of Ulster has been commissioned to dofurther work with the membership in developing theirviews on how best to represent the voluntary youthsector in the new educational structures and what rolethe sector has to play in providing support and capacitybuilding at local level. A position paper setting outproposals for the future engagement of the voluntaryyouth sector with ESA will be presented at this year’sconference. It will also seek to articulate the sector’sviews on how best to support the voluntary youthsector, where this support should come from and thepotential resource implications.

Finally, as this is my last reflection about the sector, Iwould like to say how much I have enjoyed being theChair of Youthnet and being involved in the sector. Iwould like to convey my thanks to those who haveserved on the Executive Committee during this periodand particularly Claire Flowers who has served as ViceChair for the last two years. I would also like toacknowledge and thank all the staff for their supportover the last four years. Youthnet is a greatorganisation, well run and deservedly respected. It wasmy first foray into the voluntary sector after retirementand I could not have asked for a better organisation tochair.

I wish the incoming Chair every success in their newrole. I have no doubt that this comes at a verychallenging time as ESA establishes its relationshipswith the voluntary youth sector but the sector is strongand continues a vital service to the whole community ofNorthern Ireland. You all have my best wishes.

Tony McCusker

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The DirectorsThe Directors who servedthe charity during theperiod 1 April 2008 and 31March 2009, were:

Chairperson Tony McCusker

Vice Chairperson Claire Flowers Girlguiding

Ulster

Honorary Treasurer Stephen Dowie

ExecutiveCommitteeMembersBrenda YouthLinkMcGrann

Maeve Catholic GuidesHeaney of Ireland

Thomas Quigley R.N.I.B.

Stephen National CouncilTurner of YMCA’s of Ireland

John Scout Meikleham Foundation NI

Elizabeth YouthAction NIMcArdle

Edel Face InclusionCampbell Matters

Bob Belfast Islamic Adams Centre

Paul Public AchievementSmyth

Carmel N.I.C.E.McCavana

Gillian PlayBoardMcClay

Co-optedChris Quinn Northern

Ireland Youth Forum

Company Secretary Denis Palmer

Charity registration number: XR 15098/LSCompany registration number: NI 16988

ProfessionalAdvisorsSolicitorsMcKinty Wright, Eagle StarHouse, 5-7, Upper Queen’sStreet, Belfast BT1 6FS

AuditorsFitch Audit Limited, 27-29Gordon Street, Belfast, BT12LG

Bankers Ulster Bank, 161-163 UpperLisburn Road, Finaghy,Belfast, BT10 OLJ

ExecutiveCommittee Report


ExecutiveCommitteeReport

The Youthnet ExecutiveCommittee (who are thenamed Directors, for thepurposes of the CompaniesAct) have pleasure presentingtheir report and financialstatements for the year ended31 March 2009.

This report is prepared inaccordance with theMemorandum and Articles ofAssociation and theStatement of RecommendedPractice - Accounting andReporting by Charities.

Constitution andPrincipal Activities

The company is incorporatedunder the Companies(Northern Ireland) Order 1986,being a company limited byguarantee not having a sharecapital.

The company is governed byits Memorandum and Articlesof Association since itsincorporation on 13 October1983. Youthnet is also acharity and has been formallyadmitted by the InlandRevenue, as such, for incometax purposes.

Youthnet is a strategicnetwork of Voluntary YouthOrganisations. It exists towork with and advocate onbehalf of its membership, torepresent, support anddevelop their interests andaspirations and to promotethe independent voice of thevoluntary youth sector.

The Youthnet membershipcovers a wide range oforganisations working withchildren and young people,from long establishedorganisations through tonewly emerged organisations.Member organisations workwith a diverse range of youngpeople and vary in size,structure and capacity.

Under Peace III, the YouthEducation Social InclusionPartnership (YESIP) hasdeveloped a ‘Young PeopleBuilding Positive Relations’project involving ten deliverypartners, five partners fromwithin the Statutory YouthSector and five from theVoluntary Youth sector.Youthnet is the lead agencyfor the Voluntary Youth Sector.

Youthnet is also currently theNorthern Ireland AwardPartner for the Big LotteryChildren and Young People’sFund, responsible for


managing The Big Deal.Youthnet is the lead body indelivery of The Big DealProgramme and it acts onbehalf of the following YouthService Liaison Forumstakeholders: Education andLibrary Boards; Youth Councilfor Northern Ireland; NorthernIreland Youth Forum; andYouthnet. The Big Deal is a£4.5million initiative whichincludes a £1.5million grant-giving programme for childrenand young people aged 0-25administered directly byYouthnet and a £3millionstrategic programme. Thestrategic programme isdelivered through aParticipation Hub comprisingPlayBoard, the NorthernIreland Youth Forum; and theEducation and Library Boards.

Management structureYouthnet is managed by anExecutive Committee. Inaddition three Honorary OfficeBearers are elected to serveon the Committee: thesebeing a Chairperson, ViceChairperson and HonoraryTreasurer. All the ExecutiveCommittee members havebeen registered as CompanyDirectors. The CharityDirector, Denis Palmer,manages the day to dayrunning of the organisation.

Appointment of BoardMembersExecutive Committeemembers and YouthnetHonorary Officers arenominated by respectivemember organisations andduly elected by Youthnet at itsAnnual General Meeting.Committee members areappointed for a period ofthree years. ExecutiveCommittee members electedto an Honorary Officers postmay extend their tenure to amaximum of six years.

Financial ResultsThe results for the year are setout in Youthnets financialstatements. Published in thisAnnual Report is a copy ofYouthnet’s Statement ofFinancial Activities andBalance Sheet for the yearending 31 March 2009. A fullset of accounts may beobtained from Youthnetoffices on request.

Reserves PolicyThe Directors haveestablished a policy wherebythe unrestricted funds notcommitted or invested intangible fixed assets (‘the freereserves’) held by the charityshould be 3 months of theunrestricted resourcesexpended, which equated toapproximately £28,204 in


general funds at 31 March2009. At this level, theDirectors feel that they wouldbe able to continue thecurrent activities of thecharity, in the event of asignificant drop in funding. Itwould obviously be necessaryto consider how the fundingwould be replaced oractivities changed. At 31March 09 free reserves were£88,666, excluding thepension liability and(£177,334) including thepension liability. The Directorsfeel there are sufficientreserves to mitigateimmediate or short-term risksin relation to unrestrictedfunds, but continue to monitorlong-term risks to the charity,in particular with regard to thepension liability.

The valuation of thecompany’s pension schemeat 31 March 2009, for thepurposes of FRS 17, showeda funding deficit of £266,000.This deficit represents thedifference between theliabilities of the pension fundand the value of its underlyingassets; it does not representan immediate commitment, asthe cash flow required to meetthe deficit relates to futurepension contributions.Therefore, this liability isexpected to arise over thelong-term rather than the

immediate future. Thevaluation of the pensionschemes assets under FRS17 is different from thetriennial actuarial valuationwhich determines thecontributions required toreduce the deficit. Currentfinancial projections indicatethat Youthnet will be able tomake these contributions asthey fall due.

Risk ReviewThe Directors have assessedthe major risks to which thecharity is exposed, inparticular those related to theoperations and finances of thecompany, and are satisfiedthat systems are in place tomitigate our exposure to themajor risks.

Statement ofDirectors’responsibilitiesThe Directors are responsiblefor preparing financialstatements in accordancewith applicable law andregulations.Company law requires theDirectors to prepare financialstatements for each financialyear. Under the law theDirectors have elected toprepare the financialstatements in accordancewith Generally AcceptedAccounting Practice (UnitedKingdom Accounting


Standards and applicablelaw). The financial statementsare required by law to give atrue and fair view of the stateof affairs of the company andof the profit or loss of thecompany for that period. Inpreparing these financialstatements the Directors arerequired to:• Select suitable accounting

policies and then applythem consistently

• Make judgements andestimates that arereasonable and prudent

• Prepare the financialstatements on the goingconcern basis unless it isinappropriate to presumethat the company willcontinue in business.

The Directors are responsiblefor keeping proper accountingrecords that disclose withreasonable accuracy at anytime the financial position ofthe company and enable themto ensure that the financialstatements comply with theCompanies (Northern Ireland)Order 1986. They are alsoresponsible for safeguardingthe assets of the companyand hence fort takingreasonable steps for theprevention and detection offraud and other irregularities.

Approved by the board on 13October 2009 and signed onits behalf by:

Company Secretary


DirectorDenis Palmer

CORPORATE AFFAIRSTEAMClaire O’HareDeputy Director (CorporateAffairs)Linda GordonCommunications OfficerLeeanne HolmesFinance Officer (Corporate/The Big Deal)

MEMBERSHIPDEVELOPMENT TEAMMary Field Deputy Director (MembershipDevelopment)Jenny RobertsDevelopment Officer – ChildProtectionChris FlackDevelopment Officer Amanda StephensDevelopment Officer-InclusionBen EwanDevelopment Officer-InclusionSusan ConlonProject Officer

STRATEGIC FUNDINGPROGRAMMES

Desy ClaytonStrategic FundingProgrammes Manager (PeaceIII / The Big Deal)Pauline MurrayProject Officer - Peace IIINiamh O’CarolanProject Officer - The Big DealShona Ennis Administrator (Peace III/ TheBig Deal)

Youthnet Staff Team

Aim 1Provide an effectivevoice for the voluntaryyouth sector.Key activitiesDuring the year we carried outan extensive consultation withmanagers, youth workers,volunteers and children andyoung people and presented acomposite report to DE toinform the development ofPriorities for Youth. We arestill engaged in thisconsultation process anddiscussions with DE on behalfof the sector. This is veryimportant as this will set thestrategy for the future deliveryof youth work.

We have been asked by DE toconsider more effective modelsto ensure that all aspects of thevoluntary youth sector arerepresented in any new forumsboth relating to DE and ESA.We are currently in the processof carrying out a range ofconsultations and working toproduce a discussiondocument suggesting potentialmodels.

Linked to this we havecommissioned the University ofUlster to do further work withthe membership in developingtheir views on how best torepresent the Voluntary Youth

Sector at Regional, Subregional and Local levels inthe new educational structures.The outcomes of thisconsultation and the discussionpaper will be the main themesof our conference in December2009.

We also responded to policyconsultations representingmembership views in relationto:• Volunteering Strategy for

Northern Ireland,(Department for SocialDevelopment)

• Dormant Accounts -Department of Finance andPersonnel

• RPA Establishment of theEducation Advisory Forum

• RPA Publicly OwnedSchools - Ownership andRepresentation

• ESA Proposals for DirectorLevel Structure

• Northern Ireland Office“Together, Stronger, Safer”-Consultation on CommunitySafety

• Review of the Small BusPermit (Section 10B) scheme(Road Safety DivisionDepartment of theEnvironment)

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All of the above submissions areavailable on the Youthnet website.

Staff and volunteers from Youthnetand its member organisations aresupported to contribute to a rangeof structures to engage with policymakers and take forward issuesimpacting on the voluntary youthsector and children and youngpeople. Some of the work ofthese groups is highlighted below:

Youthnet representatives continueto play an active role in the YouthWork Training Board and havebeen addressing a range of issuesincluding the development of aqualifications framework for youthwork and the recognition ofaccredited programmes by theTraining Board. A major concernwithin these has been the issue ofvolunteers and volunteer training.The National OccupationalStandards for Youth Work werealso finalised this year.

We engaged with LifelongLearning UK (LLUK) in relation totheir proposals for a WorkforceDevelopment Plan (WDP) for youthwork across the UK.

Throughout the year a series ofmeetings and seminars were heldraising key concerns of the impactof the WDP on voluntary sectororganisations particularly onvolunteers. Key issues concernedthe ‘licence to practice’ andaccreditation of volunteer

workforce. LLUK have agreedtoinitiate research on definingworkforce development needs inNI. These issues have beenshared and discussed with ourpartner organisations in England,Scotland, Wales and the Republicof Ireland.

Through the SafeguardingVulnerable Groups EducationStakeholders Forum we haverepresented the voluntary youthsector to inform guidance anddevelopments in relation to theimplementation of the Vetting andBarring Scheme and havedisseminated information to thesector.

Youthnet is part of the partnershipon the Management Group of theCurriculum Development Unit(CDU) where the Lead Partner isthe NEELB. This year the unithave been prioritising developingthe youth work curriculum aroundparticipation, testing values andbeliefs, acceptance andunderstanding of others.Alongside this PlayBoard havebeen asked to lead on the Under10s age specific strategy. Theemerging priority for the unit is thedevelopment of Quality Assurancefor Youth Work and how this canbe delivered across the sector.Youthnet is clear that existingmodels of Quality Assurance in thevoluntary youth sector must berecognised in any futureframework proposed. We are alsokeen that the learning from the

Peace Programmes isincorporated.

We have also contributed articleson the work of Youthnet and ourmembership to the CDUnewsletter which is circulatedthroughout the sector.

We recruited three new membersto the International Committeeas the committee seek to promotethe importance of InternationalProgrammes within the YouthService to influence future DEpolicy and ESA Strategy.

The WELB and SELBStakeholder forums had theirfinal meetings during the year. Theforum model will be written up, inconsultation with Youthnet, by theELBs and presented to theEducation and Skills Authority forconsideration as a model ofstakeholder engagement in thesector. The model will particularlyidentify the need for investment incapacity building for voluntarysector representatives so they canadequately represent the views oftheir constituent group.

The Human Rights Commissionhas submitted itsrecommendations on a Bill ofRights to the Secretary of Stateand the Human RightsConsortium is continuing to workto raise public awareness of theprocess as it moves forward. It ishoped that the Bill will be out for

consultation by the end of theyear. The Consortium hascreated an interactive campaign toengage its membership and thewider community to ensure a goodresponse to the consultation.

Youthnet, in conjunction withNICVA, organised a Bill of Rightsevent with young people as part ofthe Trans Urban Arts Academysummer programme. This eventused spoken word and music toexplore what young peoplewanted to see in a Bill of Rightsfor Northern Ireland. Theoutcomes of this event werepresented to the Human RightsConsortium.

Through the Equality Coalition,Youthnet took part in advisorygroups on two separate strands ofthe work of the EqualityCommission. These were theSection 75 Revised GuideAdvisory Group and the Section75 Compliance Advisory Group.Both of these groups hope toreport back before the end of thisyear.

The Child Poverty Alliance held aCampaign day 23 September2009 at Stormont. Youthnetprovided an information pack forthe event and we will continue tosupport the ongoing campaign.The Alliance is currently engagedin running a series of informationsessions on Child Poverty at



Stormont designed for assemblystaff and party members.

Through, the Anti-BullyingForum’s Anti-homophobicBullying Task Group, wecontributed to the development ofa fact sheet for teachersaddressing homophobic bullyingwhich has been issued to allschools across the North ofIreland.

We are represented on the SexualHealth Information andExchange Group (SHIEG). SHIEGis a partnership of statutory, publicand voluntary sector agenciesfrom across Northern Ireland whocome together to shareinformation and good practice onissues around sexual health.Networking through this group hasled to us carrying out LGBTawareness raising within theHealth Sector.

Representation on the HAZ(Health Action Zone) SexualHealth Project Board hasprovided us with opportunities tohighlight issues faced by LGBTyoung people at conferences andseminars within the Health Sector.

The Voluntary Sector Networkfrom across the Isles continue tomeet to share policy, strategy andissues impacting on the voluntaryyouth sector in the respectivejurisdictions. They are particularlyconcerned in relation to theimpact on volunteers of workforcedevelopment proposals. Theyhave scheduled to meet inDecember of this year to explorethese issues in more depth.

A Peace Network has beenestablished to share learning fromthe Peace Programmes with otherEuropean Countries and isfacilitated by the Special EuropeanUnion Programmes Body.Youthnet has been tasked byYESIP to take the lead on theworking group on Peace Buildingfor Children and Young People.Activities of the working group todate have been the organisation ofa seminar and training session inCyprus on the Northern Irelandyouth sector experience. Asummary of the overall role ofYouthnet in the PeaceProgrammes and case studyexamples of strategic workdeveloped through PeaceProgrammes was presented. Thiswas followed by a sessiondelivered to youth workers onPeace and Reconciliation trainingand monitoring and evaluation ofpeace building projects. Theseminar and training involvedYouthnet, YouthAction NI and theNational Council of YMCAs.

Aim 2Support our members ineffective organisationaldevelopment and in thedelivery of qualityservices to children andyoung people.

GovernanceWe continue to be actively involvedin the Developing GoodGovernance Group. The aim of thisgroup is to proactively lead on andfacilitate initiatives to improve thegovernance of voluntary andcommunity organisations inNorthern Ireland. Lloyds TSBfunding has enabled the group toachieve a number of key outputsthis year:• The DIY Committee Guide

(www.diycommitteeguide.org)was re-launched following amapping exercise to link theresources provided to the 7Principles of Good Governance.

• The Code of Good Governanceitself was updated and reprintedfor distribution across thevoluntary sector.

Youthnet has also deliveredGovernance Training to a numberof its member organisations duringthe year.

Of the 8 member organisationsYouthnet supported through theInvestors in People programme, 4have now been assessed and werepresented with their awards inNovember this year.Congratulations go to Brook NI, theBytes Project, MulhollandAftercare Services and the Voiceof Young People in Care for thework undertaken in achieving thisaward. We are confident that theremaining organisations will be in aposition to be assessed soon.

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Youthnet provides information and support toorganisations in relation to compliance withlegislation and effective practice


Child ProtectionWe continue to coordinate and supportthe training team within the CrossSectoral Child Protection Initiative(CSCPI) as further described on Page20 as a collaborative initiative betweenthe statutory and voluntary youthsector.

Alongside this Youthnet has supportedvoluntary and communityorganisations to develop childprotection policies and proceduresand delivered direct training to smallergroups who do not have access to a‘Keeping Safe’ Accredited trainer. Wealso signpost individuals to relevanttraining in this area.

We have worked throughout the yearto ensure the voluntary and communityyouth sector have access to the mostup to date information in relation to theintroduction of the Vetting and BarringScheme (VBS) and we have respondedto an increased number of requests forfurther guidance on aspects of thescheme from members.

An important piece of work is carryingout Criminal Record BackgroundChecks, through Access NI andproviding support and guidance.Applications are processed from avaried range of groups including youthclubs, church based groups,community based youth projects, artsgroups and other voluntaryorganisations. In the past year wehave processed almost 1580applications.

Feedback from these groups indicatethat this has reduced the level ofbureaucracy for them and the ongoingsupport and guidance in relation to theinterpretation of disclosures isinvaluable.

InclusionThe Development Team at Youthnetwelcomed a new member of staff thisyear through Peace III who will have aclear focus on Inclusion.

Youthnet is committed tostrengthening the capacity of the youthsector to address equality issues,including homophobia and race hate,through organisational, staff andvolunteer development. We will alsosupport youth organisations to sharebest practice in inclusion on a North/South basis through the creation ofnetworking opportunities.

We have initially identified joint areasof work that will be taken forward inpartnership with the National YouthCouncil of Ireland on a North/Southbasis.• Intercultural youth work - guidance

and good practice• Faith Based Interest Group - launch

of Charter and exploration ofdiversity issues

• LGBT youth worker networks

Through representation on the SouthBelfast Round Table on Racism, theneed to further engage with youthproviders, in light of increasedincidents of hate crimes in the area,was also identified. A seminar was

hosted by the Equality Commission toprovide an opportunity for youthproviders to voice issues of concern,and identify ways forward for tacklingrace hate through youth work. Anumber of key issues emerged that willbe discussed and actions developedat a further meeting in January 2010.

Youthnet also supported the deliveryof an accredited training programmeon prejudice awareness for studentleaders aimed at equippingparticipants to deal with equalityissues more effectively.

Work has also begun on thedevelopment of a framework forcollating and sharing good practicewith other delivery partners in theYESIP Peace III project in relation toworking with target groups of childrenand young people.

The Faith Based Interest Group wassupported to attend ‘Islam for ServiceProviders’ training during the year.Through Peace III, the group has alsobeen facilitated to finalise a FaithCharter for youth organisationsworking in a faith based setting. They held a very successful launchand seminar in November 2009 andwill publish a seminar report inDecember 2009.

Also through Peace III, a BlackMinority Ethnic Interest Group(BMEIG) has been established fororganisations working in this sector. A number of introductory sessionshave been facilitated to identify the

focus of the group and to address thecommon concerns for organisationsworking with BME communities.

OUTStanding Youth Work - a toolkitfor exploring lesbian, gay, bisexual andtransgender (LGBT), issues waslaunched at the University of Ulster atJordanstown by the Minister forEducation, Caitríona Ruane in June.Speaking at the launch the Ministersaid

“The training pack being launchedtoday is an excellent resource and Icongratulate Youthnet on the work ithas done to develop it. LGBT youngpeople should have access to supportand a full range of learningopportunities to help them develop totheir full potential. I am keen tosupport any resource which givesyouth workers the opportunity tounderstand more about the specificexperiences facing all our youngpeople.”

The toolkit is used to facilitate thedelivery of a training programme foryouth workers and there has beenconsiderable interest in this training.Training has also been delivered tosecond year students on the Youthand Community work degree course atthe University of Ulster.

In partnership with the RainbowProject, a full training day has beendeveloped, including video role plays,to be delivered to PSNI MinorityLiaison Officers. Youthnet alsocontinues to provide LGBT awareness

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training to PSNI new recruits.Since September 2008 training inLGBT awareness raising has beendelivered to 965 participants.

We continue to facilitate theTransgender Peer Support Groupmeetings in Belfast bi-monthly. Thecapacity within this group has beendeveloped and they are nowfacilitating their own sessions onTransgender awareness within theHealth Sector and are considering howto take this forward into the voluntaryand community sector.

Youth Arts NetworkWe have supported a working groupfrom the youth arts sector to meet overthe past year with a view to gainingagreement for the development androle of a Youth Arts Network.

Alongside this, Youthnet, theEducation and Library Boards and theYouth Council for NI are developing aproposal to seek Lottery Fundingthrough the Arts Council to deliverYouth Arts work in the voluntary andcommunity sector. To inform theconsortium proposal, Youthnet hasundertaken a wide ranging preliminaryconsultation with the arts sector. Oncethe proposal has been developed it willbe circulated for further consultationwith the youth arts sector prior tosubmission in the New Year.

Employers Sub GroupDuring the year we commissioned anindependent study identifying the mostappropriate pension options forvoluntary sector youth workers whoare not eligible to participate in theNILGOSC Pension Scheme. Theoutcomes of the study have beenpresented to DE and ELBs forconsideration.

Voluntary Sector YouthWorkersAs part of the discussions aroundbroader representation of the voluntaryyouth sector we have facilitated agroup of voluntary sector youthworkers to come together to discussissues of support and representation.This group are planning a conferencein early 2010 to further explore thesethemes.

CommunicationsThroughout the year, Youthnet hasresponded to the Department ofEducation on issues relating toservices for children and young peoplethrough gathering information from ourmembers. This information has beenused to respond to Assemblyquestions and questions from otherGovernment Departments on thematicareas of interest.

The primary method of communicationwith members continues to be viaemail and 42 editions of Epipe - theweekly electronic newsletter werecirculated, containing a wide range ofrelevant information relating to policy,legislation, practice, events andseminars.


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Much of the content of Epipe isgenerated by member organisationswho are encouraged to use thismedium to share information andhighlight their work, such as:• Training opportunities offered• Notice of conferences and seminars• Job advertisements• Project launches• Promotion of publications• Promotion of youth work curriculum

resources

30 topic specific emails were sent tomembers covering a number of issues,consultations, policy responses andlegislation including:• Priorities for Youth• Changes to Vetting and Barring

Scheme• Workforce Development• Dormant bank accounts• ‘Keeping Safe’ Training• Policy briefings• Wider legislative updates

The website has been furtherdeveloped, and participants may nowsignup online for events, seminars andtraining or receive further informationon a particular issue. An eventscalendar has been developed and theInformation Management section ofthe website has also been expandedto include information on Health &Safety, as well as a range of samplepolices from the Youthnet staffhandbook. The website is updated ona regular basis to ensure that relevantinformation on all aspects ofYouthnet’s work is available to a wideaudience.

The Youthnet website received 19,500hits during the year, with over 70% ofvisits to the site coming from repeatvisitors.

Funding SupportThrough funding from the Departmentof Education in relation tostrengthening the seniormanagement capacity of thevoluntary youth sector, allocatedthrough the Youth Council for NorthernIreland, Youthnet has supported seniormanagers from within its membershipto undertake continued professionaldevelopment in the following areas:• Human Resource Management• Supervisory and Management Skills• Leadership/ strategic planning• Change management, and problem

solving

A number of member organisationshave also recently benefited from ICTBursaries, funded by the YouthCouncil for Northern Ireland, throughYouthnet. Training opportunities rangefrom Sages Accounts training toMicrosoft Update training.

King George VI Youth Awards (KGVI)King George VI Youth Awards Providessupport for youth work activities for14-21 year olds. The Awards Panelreceived 48 applications during theyear and of these 24 awards rangingfrom £100 - £500 were distributed bythe panel.


Peace IIIYouth Education Social InclusionPartnership (YESIP)Under Peace III, the Youth EducationSocial Inclusion Partnership (YESIP) hasdeveloped a ‘Young People BuildingPositive Relations’ project involving tendelivery partners, five partners from withinthe Statutory Youth Sector and five fromthe Voluntary Youth sector. Youthnet is thelead agency for the Voluntary Youth Sector.

Throughout the year Youthnet has beeninvolved in a series of preparatory andsupport meetings to ensure the smoothand timely delivery of the Peace IIIProgramme:• Partnership Agreements/contracts have

been signed and all voluntary sectorprojects are now up and running;

• Initial verification and monitoring visitshave been carried out;

• Terms of reference for access to centralfunding have been agreed; and

• Project reporting structures andframeworks have been drafted andagreed.

A major networking event took place at theCanal Court Hotel in Newry 23 September09. The event, which was attended byrepresentatives of all elements of theproject, was focused on reinforcing theconcept of participation in a single projectand exploring common themes in relationto targeting young people, training andICT.

The day included a series of thematicpresentations and workshops as well asaffording a vital opportunity forparticipants to discuss issues of commoninterest. The event is the first in a series ofsuch events which will be held to bringdelivery partners together to explorecommonalities and challenges and sharepractice.

Aim 3To work in collaboration withothers to ensure maximumbenefit for the voluntary youthsector in the delivery ofservices to children andyoung people.

The Big Deal ProgrammeThe Big Deal Programme, now in its fourthyear, comprises a £1.5m Small GrantsProgramme and a £3m StrategicProgramme aimed at 0-25 year olds.

The aim of The Big Deal is to encouragechildren and young people to becomeinvolved in participatory activities whichenhance their personal and socialdevelopment and to have the skills,knowledge and opportunities to makeinformed choices about their lives anddemonstrate their positive contribution tofamily and community life.

As it approaches its final year the SteeringGroup is committed to undertaking animpact study of The Big Deal Programmeas a whole which will consider theoutcomes and potential legacy of theProgramme as a consequence of the BigLottery Fund’s £4.5m investment. Pendingapproval by The Big Lottery Fund, thisprocess will begin in the new year.

Small Grants programmeThe success of the Small GrantsProgramme to date is complemented by anadditional investment of £0.5m from TheBig Lottery Fund in September this yearbringing the total fund to £1.5m.

By the end of October 09 the Small GrantsProgramme had awarded £1,141,685 to517 projects working with around 9,000children and young people acrossNorthern Ireland.

Award panels are made up of children andyoung people from across Northern

Ireland. They decide which projects arefunded and how much they receive.Awards range from £500 - £2,500. TheChildren and Young Person’s Forumcontinues to provide significant support toaward panel members in carrying out thisvoluntary role.

An independent evaluation of The SmallGrants Programme is currently underway.

Strategic ProgrammeUnder the Strategic Programme, PlayBoarddelivers a 0-10 Play Quest Programmefocusing on the engagement andparticipation of children through themedium of play. The Play Quest Team alsoworks with organisations to promote andembed the principles and values ofeffective participation.

Throughout the year PlayBoard havedeveloped and delivered Play Questprogrammes in 38 settings throughoutNorthern Ireland. The Play Quest Team hasalso developed a booklet and DVDdesigned to assist organisations andgroups to explore and develop children’sparticipation through play.

To date 17,000 children have participatedin the Play Quest Programme.

The Northern Ireland Youth Forum (NIYF) inpartnership with the Education and LibraryBoards (ELB’s) delivers 5 programmestargeted primarily at young people inthe11-25 and 17-25 age groups. Theseprogrammes are designed to achieve thegreater participation of young people asdecision-makers in their own lives and inthe activities and services they take part in.



4,500 young people have participated inthese programmes to date.

Further details on all aspects of The BigDeal Programme are available on thewebsite: www.thebigdealni.com.

Department of EducationVoluntary Youth Sector OutreachInitiative

We have allocated funding for a secondyear to the following organisations:-

• An Munia Tober • Belfast and Lisburn Womens Aid• Belfast Islamic Centre• Face- Inclusion Matters• Gay Lesbian Youth NI• Public Achievement• YouthAction NI

These organisations have developedprogrammes to engage and support youngpeople in their thematic areas of expertiseand have also developed outreachprogrammes to include ethnic minoritygroups and resond to emerging need.

DE Cross Sectoral ChildProtection Initiative (CSCPI)

We continue to co-ordinate and support 45Cross Sectoral Child Protection Trainersensuring that they are regularly assessedto meet quality assurance guidelines.Around 20 of these trainers are alsoequipped to deliver training that includes adisability element.

This is a significant training resource forthe youth sector and during the year arange of youth organisations haveaccessed training through the team anddemand continues to grow. We arepleased that almost 2,500 staff andvolunteers have participated in childprotection training this year that meetstheir needs and that of these 1080 haveparticipated in the ‘Keeping Safe’certificated training.

Some trainers have also received ChildExploitation Online Protection (CEOP)Thinkuknow Ambassador training whichallows them to deliver training on newtechnologies to other youth workers.These youth workers in turn deliver trainingto 11-16 year old young people on stayingsafe while using new technology.

We have also ensured that organisationshave access to Designated Officer trainingeither through commissioning specificcourses from the Health Trusts orsignposting to courses already beingorganised. This has resulted in more than65 individuals accessing this training.

We hope during the coming year toencourage more members of managementcommittees to undertake child protectiontraining specifically designed to meet theirneeds.

GovernanceThere were 7 new members nominated tojoin the Executive Committee during theyear. The Committee continues to work hardto maintain effective and responsivegovernance processes and to guide thework of the organisation. • The Youthnet Executive Committee was

convened 7 times during this period and7 comprehensive progress reports werereviewed and discussed. The YouthnetHonorary Officers also met in advance ofCommittee meetings and the Finance andPersonnel Committee held 3 meetingsduring the year.

• 4 Quarterly Finance reports werereviewed by the Executive Committee.

• The annual Operational Plan was agreedin March and staff work-plans developed.4 Quarterly Monitoring Reports weresubmitted and reviewed.

Human ResourcesYouthnet received confirmation fromInvestor’s In People, 8 May 09 of itscontinued status as an Investor In Peoplefollowing review in March.

We welcomed 2 new members of staff thisyear, Strategic Funding ProgrammesManager, Desy Clayton and DevelopmentOfficer (Inclusion), Ben Ewan.

Staff development needs were reviewedduring the year and the following trainingwas identified and undertaken:• (MCSA) Microsoft Certified System

Administrator (1)• Child Protection Training (1)• Thinkuknow Training re Child Exploitation

and Online Protection (1)• Anti-Hate Crime Training (1)• First Aid training (4)• PSNI diversity training (1)• Cultural Competency/ Intercultural

Awareness Training (2)• Diversity Awareness Delivery Training (2)• ‘Outstanding’ Youth work training (1)

A number of HR policies were developed,reviewed and updated in line with currentlegislation and best practice.Policies Developed: - • Policy on new Local Government Pension

Scheme (NILGOSC)• Removable Storage Policy• Remote Access Policy

Policies Updated: - • Maternity, Paternity and Adoption policy• Health and Safety policy • IT users guide

Aim 4 Ensure Youthnet is Fit for Purpose


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Finance and Administration Youthnet has continued to review its systemsand procedures throughout the year to ensuremaximum accountability and effectiveness, toinclude the following:• Financial and budgetary control systems;• Pension, investment and reserves policies;• Risk management and assessment

procedures;• Apportionment policies; and• Maintenance of accounting records and

asset management.

ResourcingYouthnet was successful in its application toThe Youth Council for Northern Ireland toreceive core funding as the RepresentativeBody for the Voluntary Youth Sector. We alsocontinue to be an Award Partner to The BigLottery Fund for delivery of The Big DealProgramme and the lead agency for theVoluntary Youth Sector in the Youth EducationSocial Inclusion Partnership (YESIP) Peace IIIproject ‘Young People Building PositiveRelations’.

Renewed funding for the current financial yearalso includes:• Department of Education (DE) Cross

Sectoral Child Protection Initiative.• DE Outreach Initiative.• DE Membership Development.

Information and InternalCommunication SystemsMaintenance of IT systems was ongoingthroughout the year to ensure the integrity andsecurity of the network: • A six monthly review was carried out of

Youthnet’s IT disaster recovery plan.• Server maintenance plans were

implemented as appropriate.• Information was provided to staff regarding

updating and maintaining their home PCs toensure that the integrity of the Youthnetnetwork is not compromised during remoteaccess.

• Staff were also encouraged to share filesand folders and further develop Youthnet’sintranet.


Voluntary Youth Network forNorthern IrelandStatement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2009

Restricted Unrestricted Total TotalFunds 2009 Funds 2009 Funds 2009 Funds 2008

Notes £ £ £ £

Incoming Resourcesfrom generated funds:Voluntary income 2 - 103,594 103,594 128,594Investment income 3 - 819 819 1151Activities for generating funds - 5,905 5,905 5,902Incoming resources from 4 2,091,018 - 2,091,018 1,691,683charitable activitiesOther incoming resources 1,361 3,551 4,912 5,507

Total incoming resources 2,092,379 113,869 2,206,248 1,832,837

Resources ExpendedCosts of generating funds:Fundraising expenses and other costs 6 8,766 6,220 14,986 12,902Charitable activities 6 2,049,986 88,287 2,138,272 1,884,180Governance costs 6 29,642 18,311 47,953 44,338

Total resources expended 2,088,394 112,817 2,201,211 1,941,420Net incoming resources/ (resources expended) before revaluations 3,985 1,052 5,037 (108,583)

Gains and losses on revaluations of investment assets - (122,000) (122,000) 171,000

Net movement in funds 3,985 (120,948) (116,963) 62,416

Total funds at 1 April 2008 314,174 (56,386) 257,788 195,372

Total funds at 31 March 2009 318,159 (177,334) 140,825 257,788

All activities relate to continuing operations

(A company limited by guarantee)


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Voluntary Youth Network forNorthern IrelandBalance Sheet as at 31 March 2009

2009 2008Notes £ £ £ £

Fixed Assets

Tangible assets 9 33,555 36,641

Current Assets

Stock 10 400 400

Debtors 11 205,611 62,191

Cash at bank and in hand 482,536 462,670

688,547 525,261

Creditors : amounts falling due

within one year 12 (315,277) (159,032)

Net current assets 373,270 366,229

Total assets less current liabilities 406,825 402,870

Provisions for liabilities

Other provisions (266,000) (145,082)

Net assets 140,825 257,787

Charity Funds

Restricted funds 14 318,159 314,174

Unrestricted funds 14

General and designated funds 88,666 87,614

Pension liability (266,000) (144,000)

(177,334) (56,386)

140,825 257,787

The Financial Statements were approved by the Board on 13 October 2009 and signed on their behalf:

(A company limited by guarantee)

DirectorRainer Pagel

DirectorTony McCusker


Full Members

• Action Mental Health - VOTE Project• An Munia Tober• Army Cadet Force Association• The Beat Initiative• Belfast Community Circus School • Belfast Islamic Centre• The Boys’ Brigade• British Red Cross• Brook NI• The BYTES Project• Cathog• Catholic Guides of Ireland• Challenge for Youth• Chinese Welfare Association• Church of Ireland Youth Council• Cinemagic• Clubs for Young People• Contact Youth• Co-operation Ireland• Corrymeela Community• Department of Youth & Childrens’ Work

(Methodist Church)• Disability Action Youth Project• Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme• Extern• Face Inclusion Matters• Forthspring• GLYNI• The Girls’ Brigade• Girls Friendly Society• GirlGuiding UK, Province of Ulster• Harmony Community Trust• Hope UK• Hostelling International• Include Youth• Mencap• Mulholland After Care Services• Multi Cultural Resource Centre• NIACRO• National Council of YMCA’s of Ireland

• Newry Volunteer Bureau• NICHS• NI Children’s Enterprise• NI Council for Ethnic Minorities• NI Deaf Youth Association• NI Forces Youth Service• NI Scout Council• Northern Area Sea Cadets• Oh Yeah Music Centre Ltd• Opportunity Youth• Playboard• Positive Futures• Presbyterian Youth Department• The Prince’s Trust • Public Achievement• RNIB• The Rainbow Project• St Columb’s Park House• St John Ambulance• Scout Foundation Northern Ireland • Share Centre• Springboard Opportunities Limited• Terry Enright Foundation• The Spirit of Enniskillen Trust• Voice of Young People in Care• VS B - Young Citizens In Action• Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland -

Young Person’s Development Project• Young At Art• Young Farmers Clubs of Ulster• YouthAction• YouthCom• Youth Initiatives• Youth Link NI

Youthnet Membership 2009


Affiliate Members

• Belfast City Council• Belfast Education & Library Board• NI Citizen’s Advice Bureau • NSPCC• NUS/USI• North Eastern Education & Library Board• The Police Service of Northern Ireland -

Community Involvement Branch• Probation Board for Northern Ireland• South Eastern Education & Library Board• Southern Education & Library Board• Western Education & Library Board


Notes