The story so far...
2024: (August) Co-ordinated organisation and delivery of #TheGetTogether, an international programme involving 23 Youth Workers and Non-Formal Education Practitioners from 18 countries across Europe, the Middle-East and Africa.
2024: (May) Delivered presentations / workshops on The Power of Humour at the Critical Youth Work Conference in Germany and the 3rd European Academy of Youth Work in Slovenia.
2024: (April) Began work with Rural Community Network as Community Education Officer.
2024: (January & February) Published Beyond Erasmus, Stories from Outside The Box, Volume 2 & Volume 3
2023 (November):Published Beyond Erasmus, Stories from Outside The Box, Volume 1
2023 (October): Published fourth book, '50 Years 50 Lessons, A Middle-aged Man's Suggestions for not fecking things up', now and in later life'
2022: Began Senior Youth Worker II role with the Education Authority at CASE (Collaboration and Sharing in Education), a project designed to promote Shared Education in Northern Ireland, in partnership with Ireland's National Agency, Leargas.
2021: Started with Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council as Community Development Officer. In addition, I organised and co-ordinated delivery of a number of projects including 'The Last Hurrah' Conference and the first ever Youth Work Humour Festival under the banner of The Humour Alliance.
2021: Jointly-managed the development of the Youth Work and Trainers Bazaar and provided one of three Tool Fair talks, 'Shiny Sophisticated Tools....This is the last thing we need!' at Tool Fair XV in Porto. A paper on the same theme is also available by clicking here.
2021: Wrote Solidarity as the ‘cornerstone’ of social cohesion in a deeply divided society Northern Ireland – A case in point, a contribution to SALTO's Europe Talks Solidarity publication
2020: Published third book (second book of poetry), In No Particular Order and begun working for Belfast Interface Project, the highlight being the design, development and publication of its Good Relations Activity Pack.
2019: Took over as Youth Service Manager of Ireland's largest youth project, Ballymun Regional Youth Resource, Dublin, from July until November.
2019: Continued to collate evidence of the impact of International Youth Work and its benefits for the Youth Service in Northern Ireland. This is detailed in a report I produced in late 2019 entitled The Case for embedding International Youth Work in Youth Service Delivery in Northern Ireland.
2008-19: Continued to manage The LID (Leadership through Intercultural Dialogue) Programme on behalf of The Inside Out Programme in Claudy, Co. Derry which aims to provide young people, young leaders, youth workers and other practitioners that work with young people with international learning opportunities.
2019: Updated The Relevance and Benefits of International Youth Work for Good Relations in Northern Ireland.
2018: Started role as freelance External Supervisor for Youth Work Ireland Tipperary, supervising up to 9 Youth Workers at one stage.
2018: Managed Extern’s & Verbal’s €4m SEUPB-funded Third Space Cross-border Peace-Building and Personal Development Project across three sites in Northern Ireland alongside stakeholders including YouthPact, Queens University, Department for Communities, and OCN.
2017-18: Developed, delivered and launched the Claudy Visioning Process Research Project Report.
2017: Was added to the UK Network of EuroDesk Ambassadors
2017: Developed and coordinated delivery of Redhead300, a 14-day 300-mile fundraising walk from Derry to Crosshaven in Co. Cork, for Irish Cancer Society
2016/17: Designed, developed, secured funding for, implemented and overseen evaluation of the European Commission-funded 'LID+' project which targeted the promotion of Key Action 1 Mobility Projects by providing a tailor-made service to local organisations (primarily) across Northern Ireland but also ensuring a presence in the rest of the UK. Click LID+ Impact Report for final project report.
2015/16 - Visit Co-ordinator for the UK NA's Successful Youth Exchanges: Nuts and Bolts, COMETS (Cardiff) and SOHO (Sheffield) Training Programmes
2015: Designed and delivered a Diversity Training Programme to The White Horse Hotel, Derry; published first version of The Relevance and Benefits of International Youth Work for the continued development of Community Relations in Northern Ireland’
2014: Contributed to the Youth Council for Northern Ireland’s Impact of International Youth Work; ‘Chalked up’ 100th international programme with partner organisations from more than 40 countries across Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and South America
2012: Completed OCN Level 5 (BA) Cross-Cultural Facilitation and Mediation in Divided Societies & contributed to Youth Council for Northern Ireland’s. Co-ordinated delivery of Youth Democracy Projects, The 'Why?' Project & The PoP (Paths of Participation Youth Assembly).
2010-2012: Oversaw the completion of the Network Earth: Global Citizen for the 21st Century programme involving the awarding of 78 OCN Level 2 & 3 ‘Global Citizenship’ Certificates
2012: Recruited to the British Council TCP (Training & Co-operation Plan) Pool of Trainers
2012: Hosted 33rd YOUTH/Youth In Action funded programme in Derry.
2011: Completed evaluation of Focus on Family in Coleraine; under-took consultation on Participation Structures for Clubs for Young People Northern Ireland; contributed to the publication of curriculum guidelines for part-time youth workers and volunteers on two of the core principles (Acceptance and Understanding of Others and Testing Values and Beliefs) of the Model for Effective Practice.
2010: Published second book, The Yet Unknown Little Brown Book...a collection of poems
2010: Recruited onto the UK National Agency's Pool of Assessors
2009-10: Facilitator for British Council’s Active Citizen Programme
2010: Author of Derry City Council’s shortlisted bid for European Youth Capital 2013
2009-11: Chairperson of the CASCADE Network (international network involving partner organisations from 8 countries)
2008: Published first book, The Things People Say, Political Quotations from the Northern Ireland Peace Process
2008: Produced the WIFH (Western Investing for Health) Youth Manifesto for the WHSSB (Western Health and Social Services Board) area
2006: Produced The only game in town-Embedding a culture of participation in youth provision consultation report for the Northern Ireland Youth Forum on participation structures in the WELB (Western Education and Library Board) Youth Service as part of ‘The Big Deal’ Programme;
- Completed Masters in Education and Contemporary Society from UUC including Dissertation - Anti-Social Behaviour in the Greater Shantallow Area of Derry: Reasons & Causes - Developing effective responses for addressing the issue of Anti-Social Behaviour and Young People;
- Received a North West Person of the Year Award;
- Produced Research into Anti-Social Behaviour: Issues, Concerns, Experiences of Young People in the Greater Shantallow Area.
2005: Produced evaluation of the Coleraine Youth Forum & was member of working group that developed the OCN Level 3 Outreach and Detached Youth Work Training Programme
2004: Produced Research Report into Young people in the Greater Shantallow Area: A Study of Values, Attitudes and Opinion & completed Advanced Diploma in Management Practice from UUJ
2004: Designed and implemented Street Work Training Programme for members of staff from Off the Streets – forerunner to OCN Level 3 ‘Outreach and Detached Youth Work’ Training Programme
2003-2007: Produced a variety of reports for Off the Streets including Annual reports for Off the Streets 03-04 & 05-06, The Case for Supporting our Work and their Strategic Plan.
2003-2006: Member of the Youth Council for Northern Ireland
2002: Represented myself at an Industrial Tribunal over 6 days and successfully sued a former employer for unfair dismissal which became a ‘Test Case’ and led to a change in employment law in Northern Ireland
2002-12: Secured more than £1M in funding from British Council, DfID, Children In Need, Tudor Trust, Volunteer Development Agency, Community Relations Council, Lloyds TSB Foundation, Western Area Children and Young People’s Committee, Irish Youth Foundation, IFI (International fund For Ireland) and DfID (Department for International Development)
2000-2002: Set up and established NIACRO’s North West Mentoring Project
1999-2006: Produced six video documentaries for Foyle Youth Institute on a range of international programmes and wrote three activity packs to accompany some of these.
1999-2000: Produced, directed and fundraised for a video documentary about the conflict in Cyprus, ‘The Green Line’ including Activity pack
1998-2000: Chair of the CRYWN (Community Relations Youth Work Network)
1998: Awarded RSA (Royal Society of Arts) Team Leader Award
1995-1998: Team Leader for six Prince’s Trust Volunteer programmes involving almost 70 volunteers all of who left with a minimum of City & Guilds Profile of Achievement whilst others left with up to 3 NVQ qualifications.
1995: Graduated with a Dip HE in Community Youth Work from UUJ
1993: Set up and established the first ever Tenpin Bowling League involving all but one of the then thirteen secondary and grammar schools across the Derry area.
1990: Produced, directed, narrated and edited a promotional video about Derry for Info Plus which won a WELB Youth Service Award for ‘Best Youth Service Video’
1990: Appeared and narrated a UTV Community Service Announcement for Info Plus.
1988: Completed solo fundraising walk from Guildhall in Derry to Irish Peace Institute in Limerick over 10 days.
