Building the Future Together: Five Years On for Voluntary Youth Work
Nearly 100 representatives from across the voluntary youth work sector gathered on 19 October 2026 for Five Years On: Transforming the Voluntary Youth Work Sector in Northern Ireland event in NICVA, demonstrating a strong shared commitment to building a sustainable and ambitious future for the sector.
The event highlighted the value of collaboration and the importance of creating opportunities for organisations to come together around shared challenges, priorities and ambitions for the future.
From Participation to Partnership
A particular highlight of the event was hearing directly from a young person who had been involved in the engagement process. They shared their experience of contributing to the work, the positive difference youth work had made in their life, and their hopes for how young people can play a greater role in shaping the sector's future.
Their message was clear: "Don't just ask us, involve us." The young people's report is not the end of a conversation but the beginning of a wider commitment to ensuring young people are meaningfully involved in shaping the future of voluntary youth work. Their challenge to the sector was to move beyond consultation and create genuine opportunities for young people to influence decisions, priorities and future developments.
Looking to the future
We were also delighted to be joined by Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, Chris Quinn, who opened the event and facilitated the discussion session. Reflecting on the findings from both reports and the wider challenges facing voluntary youth work, Chris highlighted the need for stronger support, accountability and collaboration to ensure young people's voices remain at the heart of future policy and decision-making.
"Today’s event is both timely and strategically important. We have a draft Youth Work Strategy that does not adequately reflect the needs and voices of young people or the organisations that support them.
Over the last two decades, we have seen a systematic erosion of the support, collaboration and advocacy structures that once helped to protect and promote the voluntary youth work sector.
I am also concerned about the lack of accountability and transparency around funding and policy. These gaps need to be addressed, and our youth work sector must be properly supported and resourced to deliver for children and young people."
Chris Quinn, NI Commissioner for Children & Young People
Chris's reflections echoed many of the themes raised throughout the engagement process and reinforced the importance of working together to build a stronger, more sustainable future for voluntary youth work in Northern Ireland.
New Reports Launched
The event also marked the publication of reports capturing what we've heard from organisations and young people, what we've learned through this work and the opportunities ahead.
- Transforming the Voluntary Youth Work Sector in Northern Ireland 2026
- Future Foundations Voices of Young People: What we Heard (2026)
The conversation continues
This work was commissioned by the Voluntary Youth Work Sector Co-ordinating Committee, which appointed NICVA to independently convene and facilitate the process. The Committee's current members include Youth Action Northern Ireland, PlayBoard, YMCA Ireland, NI Youth Forum, The Bytes Project, Youth Initiatives, Youth Work Alliance and Boys & Girls Clubs (NI)
The reports launched at the event capture the views, experiences and ambitions of organisations and young people from across the sector. The wider sector engagement was supported through funding from the Dormant Accounts Fund NI, while the young people's engagement and accompanying report were funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
We encourage anyone with an interest in voluntary youth work to read the reports and consider how we can continue working together to build a strong, connected and sustainable future for voluntary youth work in Northern Ireland.
