Strabane A.Y.E.

Strabane A.Y.E. aims to:

Engage with disaffected young people; developing their potential for participation, identifying their needs as well as developing their awareness as to the perceptions of the local communities and of the impact of their actions, the seriousness of the threats facing them, the potential impact on their lives of prison sentences, the dangers of Paramilitary groupings and finally giving them the opportunities to build a sense of belonging and of civic pride.

 To promote or assist in promoting community capacity building programmes and projects for the benefit of the inhabitants within the area of benefit who have need of such assistance as a result of their  youth, age, disability or infirmity, or social and economic circumstances, in an effort to increase the abilities, skills and self-confidence of such communities in the area of benefit;

To relieve poverty by the promotion, facilitation and organisation of   adequate, accessible and quality programmes of vocational and  educational training, information and support in an effort to acquire  skills and retraining to assist the beneficiaries in obtaining employment;

To work with Families identifying multiple barriers for inclusion;  providing  a neutral, safe environment in which young people and their family can examine their lifestyles and get the relevant support to allow them to fully integrate with the communities around them and mainstream society in general. This ranges from Mental Health Programmes, Financial Advice Programmes, Employment/ Training Programmes, Social Programmes.

 Building strategic Community Development processes to youth engagement; strengthening the focused efforts and engagements with a range of key stakeholders around a set of core themes and principles with regards to youth engagement and allowing for a basis for collaboration between a range of agencies and local partners.

 Building cohesion within and between young people, communities, Statutory Bodies and political parties;  encouraging excluded young people to play a more active and civic role within their communities and providing the dynamic in order to move forward in a positive manner allowing for the support for communities to engage with the other communities to hear about their experiences and how they are addressing and dealing with difficult situations and how they can do it together providing greater understanding and tolerance.