Youth Empowerment Scheme

The Youth Empowerment Scheme, or YES, is a charity in Belfast that offers a mentoring service to children between 11 and 14 years old. It was established in 2001 by participants on the Washington Ireland Program including Chris Johnston, Ryan Moffett, Sarah Quinlan and Andrea Erskine and was based on Teamwork for Tomorrow, a similar scheme run by students at Notre Dame University, United States.^[1]

The Youth Empowerment Scheme aims at empowering the young people of Belfast and encouraging them to be active citizens in their city. It holds that youth mentoring can provide young people with positive role models, support and encouragement, and is thus the most effective way of helping them reach their fullest potential as citizens and productive members of society.

YES aims to promote the social inclusion of young people of ethnic, religious, educational and social economic diversity. To contribute to the creation of a tolerant, pluralist society in Belfast, free from racism, sectarianism and anti-Semitism, the Youth Empowerment Scheme runs weekly workshops that explain and celebrate the diversity of cultures in the city. In 2005 a project entitled 'Gaining Voice' culminated in the release of a short film written and produced by the young participants in the Scheme. It took the form of a political broadcast and highlighted issues of concern to young people, such as peer pressure, bullying and racism.

The Youth Empowerment Scheme is run primarily by student volunteers from the University of Ulster and Queen's University Belfast. Volunteers receive training in child mentoring and in child protection policy and procedures.

In 2004 YES was awarded the BT Link Award for Challenge with the University of Ulster.

Fundraising activities

YES relies on the goodwill of volunteers in terms of time and also donations to run the charity. Some successful charity fundraisers include 'A night at the movies'.^[2]

Big-hearted film fans came together at the Sheridan IMAX movie theatre to raise over £1,500 in box-office takings for a children’s charity.'The silver screen worked its magic for the Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES), a cross community, multi-ethnic charity set up by UU and QUB students to work as mentors with children aged 11–14. Featuring live jazz as well as cinema the special fundraising event - billed as ‘A Night at the Movies’.^[2]

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