Christmas is always a busy time of year, and this year is no different. The VOYPIC Elves have been working hard to make sure that every child in care has a gift to open on Christmas morning. We have been inundated with donations from friends right across Northern Ireland. A special thanks to our friends in Dee Street Community Centre Over 60’s Club, Bedford House, Ulster University Derry-Londonderry Campus Stand Up for Social Work Society, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, the Grand Opera House, Wellington Presbyterian Church Ballymena, and many more for all your support.
This year we have been able to distribute more than 3000 gifts from our special VOYPIC grotto, as well as hosting Christmas parties and outings for children and young people.
He’s Behind You – Sleeping Beauty
We are delighted to have been chosen as the Charity Partner for the Brassneck Theatre Company’s People’s Panto, Sleeping Beauty. The show runs until Sunday 22 December at St Comgall’s, Belfast. Over 40 children and families were invited to the opening night, and the cast and crew have been collecting money for VOYPIC throughout the run.
Belfast Black Santa
Every year, the Dean of Belfast sits outside St Anne’s Cathedral, collecting donations for local charities, in the run-up to Christmas. Known as the Belfast Black Santa, the tradition was started in 1976 by Dean Sammy Crooks. This year, we are thrilled that the current Black Santa, Dean Forde, has chosen VOYPIC as one of the charities the campaign will be supporting. The money raised will help fund our work, in partnership with Include Youth, around ending homelessness among young people leaving care.
There’s been lots happening over the past few months. Here’s some of the highlights.
Our Annual Report 2023-24
At our AGM in early December we published our annual report for the financial year 2023-24. Over the year we worked with 621 children and young people with experience of care. Our Chief Executive, Alicia Toal, said:
“It has been yet another busy year for the VOYPIC team. I am delighted to present this report, which showcases some of the great work undertaken to amplify the voice and protect the rights of children and young people living in and leaving care.”
You can read the full report here.
Children’s Social Care Services Reform
We continue to work alongside our colleagues across the children’s sector to push for the much-needed changes highlighted in the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care Services. We are members of the Reimagine Children’s Collective, and a number of workstreams established by the Department of Health to take forward action on the reform.
In October, Alicia joined colleagues from Barnardo’s, Action for Children and the Fostering Network to give evidence to the NI Assembly Health Committee. Later that month, we facilitated a workshop where members of the Committee worked alongside young people to explore how reforms can be best delivered, to make real and meaningful change for young people in and leaving care.
This Christmas Time, Think Article 9
Young people in the Northern Area Participation Forum, SWiTCH, have again been campaigning to ensure all children know where they will be spending Christmas Day. Their call was for all Christmas Family Time visits to be arranged no later than Monday 9 December. This year they created a special campaign video, which was shared across our social media channels.
Read the full story here.
A Visit from South Africa
In October we were delighted to welcome our friends from Mamelani, an organisation working with young people in care in South Africa. We have been working with them on an international project, through Queen’s University, and earlier in the year Esla, Matthew and Juliette visited Cape Town to see how children are cared for there. It was great to welcome our new friends to Belfast, and show them around our country, including a trip to Stormont where they met some of our decision makers.
The Future of RSE
Ash, Caitlin and Stephen represented their peers at a workshop on Relationship and Sexualities Education, hosted by the NI Assembly Education Committee. They said, “We have the right to high quality, age-appropriate, factual relationship and sexualities education, that is real and meets our needs. It’s all about keeping us, and our peers, safe and well.”
What do we want Social Workers to know...to expect...and to be?
Young people in the Northern area have been working on a new leaflet for Social Workers, setting out what they want them to know, expect, and be. Representatives from the group attended the Northern Health and Social Care Trust Social Work Managers meeting, and delivered a presentation about the leaflet. They ask them to, “take time to get to know us, and to listen to what we have to say. And help us to understand, by being clear and transparent. And, include us in our plans.”
Halloween Happenings at VOYPIC
Back at Halloween, our Head Office, 100GPS, was transformed into a spooky Haunted House by young people in the Belfast Participation Forum. There were ghosts and ghouls all over the place, as the young people guided guests around a series of spooky rooms, filled with all sorts of surprises!
See more photos from the event here.
CARE DAY Awards – Nominate Now!
We’re gearing up for CARE DAY, to be held on Friday 21 February 2025. This year, we’re hosting the second annual CARE DAY Awards, recognising and celebrating young people with lived experience of care. Nominations are now open, and will close on Wednesday 8 January. For all the info on the categories and how to nominate, visit www.voypic.org/caredayawards.
To help celebrate young people, need your help. We are asking businesses, organisations and individuals to consider supporting our CARE DAY campaign, by sponsoring one of the awards, or sponsoring a table for young people to attend the awards. For all the info, click here.
Alternatively, any donation to support CARE DAY, or our work with children and young people with experience of care throughout the year, would be much appreciated. You can donate online at www.justgiving.com/voypic.
Merry Christmas
The VOYPIC offices will remain open over the Christmas period, but will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. If you need the support of an advocate during the holidays, please call 028 9024 4888.
Thank you for all your support in 2024. From everyone at VOYPIC, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2025.
