Our Story

 

Norfolk Youth Projects (charity registered number 1154242) is a voluntary community organisation for young people in Norwich & Norfolk. The charity comprises different services providing local and international project opportunities. It was established in Norwich, U.K., in 2003 by John Nooney, a senior youth worker along with another youth worker and 12 young people.

The organisation’s objectives are:

  1. To improve the quality and lifestyle of all children and young people up to the age of 30 resident in Norfolk particularly those with educational, social and financial difficulties by providing activities, services and facilities regardless of their political persuasion, religious beliefs and sexual orientation.
  1. To advance their education and broaden their horizons by organising and providing cultural youth exchanges in Norfolk and abroad and to act as a European Voluntary Service hosting and sending agency for young people and also to participate in other Erasmus+ programs.
  1. To work with disaffected young people, including offenders and ex-offenders to minimise the risk of offending by providing activities designed to raise self-esteem and enhance their lives by promoting teamwork, communication and leadership skills to enable them to grow to maturity as responsible members of society.

Since our set up, we have carried out a wide range of projects, with cultural youth exchanges both in Norfolk and abroad being one of our main themes of work. During the past 12 years we have been involved in, and organised, more than 50 cultural youth exchanges involving 3000 young people from 35  countries.We have been both a sending and hosting organisation for European Voluntary Service (EVS). This offers opportunities for young people from Norfolk to experience long term placements in other countries and young people from Europe to experience similar opportunities in Norfolk.We have trained some of our more experienced young people to become volunteer leaders who are now able to undertake the management of youth exchanges and have become mentors for our overseas EVS volunteers.

Our members meet on a monthly basis in Norwich and also hold residential weekends in Norfolk 3 or 4 times a year. The young people help plan NYP youth exchanges, EVS projects and local fund raising activities. NYP has a Board of 6 Trustees, half are business professionals and half are experienced and professional young people from NYP. We have our own office space within the Charing Cross Centre which also houses a number of other local voluntary organisations and charities.

Norfolk Youth Projects is affiliated to the Momentum Association, which helps groups to work wit young people. We are also a member of Norfolk Local Safeguarding Children Board and is a partner organisation in the Eurodesk network in the U.K.