A. Project environment: profile of the organisation and local community
" North Down YMCA's premises are located at Queens Parade, on the sea-front, in the centre of the town of Bangor. Bangor is a large costal town, 14 miles east of Belfast. Its population is approximately 65,000 and it is largely a commuter town. It is a popular destination for day trippers because of its location and tourist amenities.
" There is less religious conflict than in other areas of Northern Ireland. The main differences in the town are socio-economic. Most residents of Bangor live in privately owned dwellings, however there are a number of public housing estates (large groups of government owned houses occupied by low income families or families living on benefits given by the governement) on the edge of town. These estates are areas of deprivation where there are problems with anti-social behaviour such as drugs, car-crime, under-age drinking, etc. The Queens Parade area (where the YMCA premises are situated) is also an area of deprivation and has a large transient population partly due to the many flats in the area.
" In recent years Bangor has also seen a growth in the number of people from Europe & beyond settling in the town i.e. Polish & Chinese.
" Most of the Association's work is located in areas of social and economic deprivation (on the housing estates on the edge of the town and in & around the YMCA premises) in the context of a post-conflict society. The Association is committed to working with both members of Catholic and Protestant communities, as well as with members of minority groups. We are committed to working with people of all ages from children to senior citizens as well as families and vulnerable adults. The Association works in partnership with the local statutory and community groups in the area including, the local council, the Housing Executive, Education board, health trust, and various local community groups as well as with churches in the area.
" Recently the YMCA has expanded it's work to neighbouring areas of Bangor e.g. Donaghadee, Millisle and the Ards Peninsula. These are small towns/rural areas close to Bangor where there are high incidences of anti social behaviour and pockets of deprevation.
B. Proposed activities for EVS volunteers
There are opportunities for up to 4 volunteers within the YMCA's 3 project areas of Youth Activities, Support Activities & Family Activities as stated above.
Volunteer activities would span all of the activity areas. A typical week is shown in the timetable below (although due to the nature of the activities the times/days would be subject to change):
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Morning Creche Creche
Afternoon After Schools Club YMCA Drop In/After schools Club YMCA Drop In/After schools Club YMCA Drop In Detached
Evening Detached Youth Club Detached Youth
Club Detached

Volunteer Roles/Activities
The volunteers' role will be:
- develop relationships with the young people on the projects, and be sensitive to their needs and concerns.
- The volunteer may also come into contact with local parents and community leaders and will need to be comfortable when working with them.
- work as part of a team.
- assist in implementing the projects alongside staff members. S/he may also be involved in recruiting young people for the projects. There will be occasional residentials, trips and regular meetings that the volunteer would be expected to attend.

The volunteers' activities will vary. They will include:
- assisting in the planning for events and delivery of projects;
- organising, facilitating and evaluating programmes with staff and young people;
- supervising young people and children;
- building relationships and sharing experiences with young people;
- increasing the young people's knowledge of the volunteers' culture;
- developing their own project ideas with project coordinators


The volunteer will make a unique contribution to the project, bringing an international dimension to the programmes. There is an opportunity for them to build relationships with the young people and children as well as staff and to help them understand more about the volunteers' own culture/heritage.

The opportunities for learning for volunteers, young people and staff are many. Volunteers will enrol on an English Language course for the duration of their stay and will have the opportunity to sit certificated exams in the subject. Throughout the year various training opportunities exist such as cooking/food hygiene courses, first aid, child protection training etc Also there are opportunities to learn more about local heritage and the history of the YMCA, Bangor & Northern Ireland through various induction courses.

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_form_en.cfm?EID=12000689001