Ulster Rugby v Edinburgh

CARE DAY 2018 Ulster Rugby’s official charity partner, Include Youth, supports children and young people throughout Northern Ireland, who are in or leaving care or from disadvantage communities, to improve their employablilty, increase their confidence and self-esteem and reach their full potential. Here, in honour of Care Day 2018, a selection of young people share their stories and the impact Include Youth has had on their lives.

ZOE, 20 “I entered the care system at the age of 16 and things started to really go downhill from there. I did try and go to Tech but that only lasted a month. I didn’t get any support and turned to drugs. Include Youth has helped get me into a routine, building up my confidence and helping me think about my future. I am hoping to move on in September to do my Level 2 in Health and Social Care at Tech as I now feel ready and will have support from Include Youth.” MEGAN, 19 “Before Include Youth I didn’t see me making it to next year. The support and structure has given me focus to think beyond where I was stuck and helped me uncover the potential I hadn’t time to think about. Now, I have a structure to my day, I am independent and looking after myself, and have a firm plan in place for the future to study Veterinary Nursing full time once I have finished my Access Course.”

INCLUDE YOUTH

DARYL H, 18 “The future’s looking bright now. I feel that being in Include Youth is helping me to build my self-confidence. I’m now getting support and encouragement to keep on track. I’m looking forward to achieving qualifications in Essential Skills and getting work experience in jobs that interest me.”

DARRYL C, 20 “I don’t want to sit about and do nothing anymore, I want to develop myself. Include Youth has really helped my confidence and belief in attending interviews. I feel my confidence growing every interview and I know what to expect and how to behave. I hope it pays off one day and I secure a job soon as I really want to work. If anyone out there wants to employ me, get in touch!”

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