North West Regional College (NWRC) has officially launched a brand new project which will provide a new set of courses in community development and youth work.
Inspire, Enthuse, Equip will be delivered by NWRC over the next two years following a successful tender bid of £196K to Derry and Strabane District Council (DCSDC). The project is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
Mayor of Derry and Strabane District Council (DCSDC), Lilian Seenoi Barr, officially launched the ‘Inspire, Enthuse, Equip’ project on International Volunteers Day at Derry~Londonderry’s Cathedral Youth Club. The event was attended representatives of the Community & Voluntary and Youth sector.
NWRC Project Manager Inspire, Enthuse, Equip, Francine Moran said: “We are delighted to launch this new project to coincide with International Volunteers Day and to highlight the valuable contributions that volunteers make to our local communities and the valuable services they provide to society.
“The Inspire, Enthuse, Equip project represents a significant step forward in empowering our communities and fostering a new generation of volunteers and community and youth workers. By providing practical skills, cross-community experiences, and opportunities for growth, we aim to future-proof the community and voluntary sector, ensuring it remains vibrant and resilient. This initiative is not just about education—it’s about building connections, breaking down barriers, and inspiring individuals to make a lasting impact.”
Mayor of Derry and Strabane District Council (DCSDC), Lilian Seenoi Barr said: “Congratulations to everyone involved with this innovative new project. I am delighted to be here for the launch on International Volunteers Day which gives us the opportunity to shine the spotlight on the valuable contributions that volunteers make to our local communities. This project will have lasting benefits for the sector as well as promoting the valuable work that is being done in the local community.”
Sue Divin, DCSD Council Programme Manager for PEACE said ‘Derry City and Strabane District Council are delighted to be able to fund this project under our Local Co-Designed PEACEPLUS Action Plan. From across a wide range of sectors and the geography of our council area, a huge area of common concern coming forward from the community and voluntary sector is the lack of opportunity for potential new community workers to access free training to future proof the existence of the sector. Our local community groups deliver excellent work, but they can only keep doing that if they have appropriate funding and staffing. We’d encourage any individuals interested in working in the sector in the future to take up the offer of free, local training.’
The Inspire, Enthuse, Equip Project offers courses relating to community development and youth work from Level 1 to Level 3, as well as the provision of cross-community site visits and community awareness sessions.
They include: Community Development, Volunteering Skills, Youth Work, Diversity, Good Relations, Equality, Community Health Facilitation and others relevant to the sector. Every individual participant on the programme, regardless of their course, will have the opportunity to experience at least one community site visit beyond the classroom and learn from other communities.
The aim of the project is to expand the current volunteer base and community capacity to future proof and sustain the community and voluntary sector within the council area.
The project has been designed in response to widespread concern identified in the PEACEPLUS co-design process across the entire Community and Voluntary Sector, around the ageing demographic of those currently working and volunteering in the sector and the difficulty to attract new employees and young people to sustained employment in the local communities.
