YMCA John Savage Trophy 2018-19
The Club were delighted to award the 2018-19 John Savage Trophy and Bursary to YMCA Belfast which, with inspirational leaders, works with children, young people, families and the community and supports young people to achieve their potential and their goals. President Mark presented it to YMCA Belfast General Secretary Howard Davey with YMCA’s Youth and Community Development Worker Brian Moore and Lydia Niece at the Club meeting Monday 04 June 2019 pictured right with Club Rotarians Eric Rainey (far left) and Past President Brian Clements (far right).
Accepting and thanking for the Award Howard Davey advised that the 05 June is not only the 75th anniversary of D-Day but also the 175th anniversary of the YMCA and, though now worldwide, Dublin and Belfast were the first locations outside London – the YMCA has been in Belfast for 159 years and, since 2003, is based at Stranmillis. He stressed that they aim to connect with young people and families at the point of need on a one-to-one basis. The YMCA Belfast has three main areas of service – youth and community work with teenagers; childcare, after school clubs and holiday clubs with pre-school and primary school children; and health and fitness programmes for all ages from teenagers to pensioners. He pointed out particularly that they have 150 children playing football, their small fitness facility is of particular value to retired people and teenagers and emphasised that they are not dependent on grant funding but avail of it and any donations.
Brian Moore and Lydia Niece spoke particularly about the success of their Connect Project which started in 2013 and is a non-educational project based in 5 schools which working directly with the young people uses dialogue and interactive learning methods to tackle issues of diversity, the religious divide in Northern Ireland and associated issues including online security and night-time safety.
Lydia concluded by thanking the Club for seeing the value in their work and invited the Club to visit which happened on Monday 27 January 2020. 7 Club members led by Eric Rainey - PE Ken, David Boyd, Brian Clements, John McCleery, John O'Carroll and Alan Rundle were made extremely welcome and were hugely impressed by the tremendous work being done and the results achieved as well as the fact that the team has used the John Savage Award incorporating it positively in its programmes. Manager Howard Davey reviewed the history of the YMCA in Belfast from its origins in 1850, its residence in Wellington Place to its current facilities in a 14 acre site next to Lagan Meadows. He advised The Belfast organisation is
now a separate limited company charity which no longer has sporting teams of its own on the extensive playing fields but partners with Aquinas and others in making the facilities available. It is largely funded from the Wellington Place legacy and can, therefore, follow its own approaches to identified needs not influenced by funders’ requirements. YMCA Belfast Limited has 3 strands – Childcare, Fitness and Youth; Childcare being provided through a new purpose-built nursery on site together with After-school and Holiday Clubs and Fitness through the Gym Fitness Centre with personal training and external classes. 
The recipient of the John Savage Award was the Youth Section run by Brian Moore, ably supported by Peter McNiece and Lydia Brush. Its Programmes include The Connect Project; Duke of Edinburgh Award; NI National Citizenship Scheme; Youth in Government; Volunteer Training; M-Power; Peace lV Schools Project Partnership and, above all, provides Experiences. The Youth Team each enthusiastically described their work in East Belfast Schools funded by the proceeds from the former Montpottinger YMCA. This work demonstrates their needs based, hands on approach of individual involvement and communication - “conversations” - with each child. These are not lecture led but conversation driven and much appreciated by the schools who benefit.
The Rotarians present were amazed by the tremendous work being done and the results achieved as well as the fact that the team has used the John Savage Award incorporating it positively in its programmes.