NxtGen@Oasis

Welcome to NxtGen@Oasis Youth Programme

OCIA has been running youth programmes in Belfast since 2017. From July 2024, with funding from the Henry Smith Charity, we have been delivering a new bespoke NxtGen@Oasis programme. In designing the programme have used direct feedback from previous project participants, and have focussed in on the needs of local young people, whilst ensuring we do not replicate anything being offered locally by neighbouring organisations or clubs. 

The new programme is aimed at 16-25 year olds, with a focus on supporting participants who are at the start of their journey after school, or who have been affected by the covid pandemic, or perhaps suffer with mental health challenges, including depression, poor self-esteem or social anxiety.

Our aim is to build confidence, resilience and self-belief, whilst focussing on improving mental health and building social and life skills. Using tried and tested personal development strategies we work with the young people to help them to:

• set realistic goals and agree plans on how best to achieve these

• take part in learning workshops, focussing on a number of life skills that are often taken for granted

• benefit from visits from/to other youth organisations, employment programmes and community organisations, as well as utilising training providers

• contribute to their local community by identifying a problem in the local area and then designing and delivering a solution e.g. it may include fund raising for a local charity, or it could be helping to run an activity on behalf of a local charity.  This social action element is youth led, each group identifies, designs and delivers their project benefitting their local community in some way with support from our experienced team at OCIA

• engage in 1-2-1 sessions planned across the duration of delivery to ensure all of the YP are fully supported.  This will enable us to identify additional needs, or to discuss progression ideas with the individuals to ensure they all achieve sustainable outcomes

• participate in a number of adventure days throughout the programme to help build teamwork and improve communication skills, whilst having some fun at the same time

• ensure the young people celebrate their successes and recognise their achievements at a celebration event at the end of the programme, including a recognised qualification

NxtGen is here, contact us for more information!

Client feedback:

My confidence was so low and I had bad anxiety – I just didn’t want to go out – the Programme has really helped me to work with others.

The Programme really developed my confidence to manage in a group task – before, I was convinced that I couldn’t do that role.

I got a whole new life from the Programme, I have got into further training and new opportunities are opening up for me.