Basil McCrea, UUP Spokesperson on Education meets with Early Years

Ulster Unionist MLA Basil McCrea has welcomed a visit from Early Years, a young persons’ organisation to the Northern Ireland Assembly in a bid to raise awareness of the importance of early intervention within our education sector.

Representatives from the UUP met with Pauline Walmsley and Siobhan Fitzpatrick as they put forward their views on how to move forward.

Commenting after the meeting Basil said; “Our education system is currently failing in relation to Early Years and this is where the UUP believe the focus needs to be.

“The Department and the Minister for Education Caitriona Ruane in particular needs to grasp the importance of early intervention and prevention in relation to educational underachievement.  This is where we need to begin.  This is not just about pre-school places this is about giving our children the tools to develop in the future.

“We need to take an interdepartmental approach. Health, social poverty, crime, economic inactivity, unemployment, employability – all of these issues can stem from early intervention.  For this reason I welcome the visit today and am encouraged by the cross party support they have received.

“This is the only way we will be able to move forward – early intervention is key in providing essential skills for our young people.”

The Lagan Valley MLA said; “I would like to send my best wishes to all those who have just received their GCSE results. Once again Northern Ireland students, assisted by teaching staff, have turned in a set of tremendous results which bear testimony to a great deal of hard work and dedication.

Whilst there will be many students who will have achieved the results which they wanted, I am also mindful that there will be those who will be disappointed at not getting the results which they expected. People in the second category should realise that they are not alone and that help is at hand.

Whatever situation people find themselves in, it is important that they take time to evaluate and consider all options open to them. In this respect the Careers Service plays a vital role and can be contacted via http://www.careersserviceni.com/Cultures/en-GB/CareerService/ or by telephoning 028 9044 1781.”

The UKYP taking a break from debating to have a sit on the Stormont Assembly's steps!

Today the staff of the Stormont Assembly welcomed the United Kingdom Youth Parliament in their visit to Northern Ireland’s parliament buildings during the third day of their 10^th Annual sitting. The group got to meet MLAs Basil McCrea of the UUP, Colin McDevitt of the SDLP, Anna Lo of the Alliance Party, and also Francis Molloy the Deputy Speaker for the assembly. All of whom answered eager questions from England, Scotland and Wales based Youth Members of Parliament (YMPs) regarding the Northern Ireland judicial system.

Twenty selected MYPs organised each of the events and debates over the 3 days the UKYP had their annual meetings. One of the two key organisers from Northern Ireland, Ellen Shannon from Hillsborough, had the opportunity to meet Mr McCrea and get to know her personal representative better.

“Today has been such an exciting day” said Basil McCrea, MLA for the Ulster Unionist Party. “As the party spokesperson for education, it is always such a rewarding experience to meet young people with inquisitive minds, and even more rewarding to know one of them is one of my own constituents. Ellen, together with her other standing MYPs has shown a real passion to be involved in working with others to help all peoples, whether that’s in politics or otherwise. I have been deeply impressed by what they have achieved.”

Ellen, alongside her counterpart, Conal O’Hara from Newry and another 18 MYPs, organised the 300 strong group to have a plenary

Basil McCrea MLA and Ellen Shannon touring the Stormont Assembly Parliament Buildings building

session in the prestigious Senate Room within Stormont, debating the funding cuts to the voluntary sector. This was then followed by a debate on the issue of whether or not young people should be allowed to vote at 16. Finally a few pictures were taken outside with front of Stormont with all of the MLAs.

300 of the 600 elected YMPs, all aged between 11 and 18 years old, visited Northern Ireland for the UKYPs Annual sitting. Their elections are held throughout the UK annually and any young person can stand or vote. In the past two years one million young people have voted in the UKYP.

Prime Minister David Cameron stated that Voluntary organizations would soon be playing a leading role in Cameron’s ‘Building the Big Society’ policies.

The Prime Minister will announce his proposed ‘National Citizens Service’ scheme which starting next year will provide a program for school-leaving 16 year olds to offer them placements mainly within charities for 7 to 8 weeks. The scheme’s overall aim is to encourage people to be more civic minded and will eventually expand to include all ages, from all walks of life.

“It is my opinion that National Citizens Service scheme is a refreshing direction from the Prime Minister in dealing with the on-going social issues that we are all facing” said Mr. McCrea.

“Young people will have new opportunities to mix with people from different backgrounds, develop new skills and broaden their world view. One charity I support, ‘Millennium Volunteers’ would be a key organization for this scheme. Millennium encourages people of all ages to get involved in volunteer work and I would urge everyone to check their website and see if you can spare some even just a few hours to help many worthwhile causes.

“This year I also committed my support to cross-community charity ‘Friends Forever’, who aim to create leadership skills in young people by involving teens in work with all members of the community in the USA; in soup kitchens, homeless shelters and elderly people’s homes. Many YMCAs across Northern Ireland work with the scheme, and I hoping to make arrangements to see Lisburn YMCA also involved soon.

“In September I will be supporting this scheme by continuing to host the annual Young Achievers Ball where I hope many of the past participants from the Friends Forever organization will be attending. Many of them are keen to be involved with future youth projects as they have come back to Northern Ireland with not only a sense of civic responsibility, but a genuine desire to have continued involvement in community work.”

They are looking for volunteers and team leaders.

They also wouldn’t mind some matched funding from Northern Ireland. 

Currently all funds are raised in the US, so perhaps you like to help send more of our young people to the states by raising funds.