MyVOYPIC News
December 23
Hi everyone, welcome to MyVOYPIC News! We hope you are all keeping well and ready for the festive season. We have a few updates and opportunities to tell you about below.
Support over Christmas
We know this time of year can be challenging for some of you. For details on organisations offering support during this time, you will find a list of numbers you might find useful on our Useful Numbers page.
We are closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. On all other days you can reach us as normal on 028 9024 4888 or email info@voypic.org.
Shape our plans
We’re working on our plans for the next few years. Please take a few minutes to let us know your ideas for what VOYPIC should do in the next few years. Your input and voice is what VOYPIC is all about, so we would really love to hear from as many of you as possible.
VOYPIC is 30
On 21 October 1993, a group of 57 young people and the adults that supported them came together to talk about care. From this meeting, VOYPIC was born.
We held a celebration event in Ulster University, Belfast on Friday 20 October this year to mark 30 years of VOYPIC and to showcase some of the amazing work done by young people all over Northern Ireland in the last few years.
During the conference Brandan also announced on behalf of VOYPIC that in our 30th birthday year, we are extending our advocacy and peer support for care experienced young adults, up to 30 years old.
Care Day 24
Care Day will take place on Friday 16 February 2024. We are currently working behind the scenes with some of our Young Reps on something very exciting: the Care Day Awards.
Care Day is all about celebrating and connecting young people with lived experience of care. This year, we want to recognise care experienced young people who have had a significant achievement, or who have made a contribution to their community. A full list of categories and forms for nominating young people will be added to the Care Day website soon.
MyBank Opportunity
MyBank would like to speak with young people who have been in care about their experiences of living on their own for the first time and managing their money. It doesn’t matter if you were in foster care, in a residential home, or staying with relatives. Right now, you might be living in supported accommodation, social or council housing, or renting privately.
They want to know what support you have received and how this helped you, what support you would have found helpful, or what support you think should be given to care leavers moving into their own place.
Getting involved should only take around 45 minutes of your time and you will receive a £30 voucher for taking part.
Members Shout Outs!
We would like to give a massive shout out to Rhianna, VOYPIC Young Rep and MyVOYPIC member who signed up to the LSTB opportunity we sent out in the last Newsletter. Through her hard work on the course and after a successful interview she has now got a job through the programme! We are proud of the hard work you put in Rhianna and delighted you got the job. Well done!
If you want to give a shout out to a member of MyVOYPIC for something they have achieved or want to let someone know how amazing they are, just let me know and we can put it in the next Members Shout Outs!
Thanks for reading our MyVOYPIC News!
If you have something you’d like to share with other members of MyVOYPIC, just get in touch. Remember, you can get me on 07854 255554 or email brenda.kilpatrick@voypic.org.
Thank you in advance and I hope you all enjoy the Christmas break, I’ll be in touch again in 2024.
Brenda
