Based in Lower Crumlin, CLAY is community-based Youth Project, purpose-built to provide and facilitate a fully integrated, caring, and innovative youth project for young people. CLAY provides and facilitates a range of services and programmes, which has an intended impact to progress life opportunities for targeted young people, supporting them to fully participate in their community. We are happy to present CLAY's key strategic plan and goals for the next three years. The plan is tied to the long-term mission and values of CLAY.
CLAY transforms the lives of young people so that they thrive, reach their full potential and actively participate in their communities.
CLAY will deliver its vision by collaborating with young people, particularly those with fewer opportunities, to create a welcoming, vibrant and safe environment. Its youth-centred programmes are fun and challenging and designed to enhance the life skills and opportunities of young people, with the programmes reaching the highest standards of Youth Work.
People Centred
We will strive to work from a person-centred approach, with young people at the core of CLAY’s work with the community.
Communication & Collaboration
We will deliver a service where effective communication and collaboration are valued as a core part of our work.
Integrity
We value honesty and openness and strive to model these values inherently.
Equity
We will strive to work in an equitable manner and deliver youth work and opportunities with young people in a fair and impartial way
To continue to deliver and build upon the existing, successful and targeted programmes of Youth Work and Youth Justice Work that is based on principles of good practice and evidence (Youth Development). Develop, pilot, review and roll out additional programmes that add to the range of services and impact of CLAY including:
➼Dedicated and funded Youth Employability programme
➼Develop Family Support programme
➼Develop YP Leadership programme as well as Mental Health and resilience programmes
➼Roll out specific experience programmes targeting young men
➼Gain recognition for programmes.
To develop and grow the CLAY team to ensure all staff are able to fulfil their potential. Critical positions (including the Board) have succession plans and that we maintain a positive, healthy and collaborative working environment. This involves two sections:
1) To develop and grow the Board to better reflect our local community and ensure long term knowledge transfer of critical relationships including:
➼ adding a parent and young person representation on the Board
➼ mapping out and ensuring handovers for all key external relationships to Chair/Vice Chair
2) To develop all staff to ensure:
➼ personal development and training plans for all staff. All mandatory training to be completed & funding to be sought for additional training
➼ annual staff appraisal and performance reviews
➼ the well-being of staff being maintained.
To develop the financial position of CLAY to allow for future investment in new programmes and facilities including:
➼Increasing unrestricted funding of CLAY
➼Establishing the contingency budget to ensure proper cover for future emergencies.
To develop and promote the image, reputation and visibility of CLAY within the local community with the goal of greater community participation. To promote CLAY as a project of excellence in the areas of leadership, participation and youth work as well as:
➼Running community days to celebrate the impact and promote the work of CLAY
➼Gaining greater involvement of the local community via launching of local youth clubs
➼Developing and maintaining website and social media presence.
To improve the resources and facilities available to CLAY by:
➼Developing and enhancing the premises of CLAY
➼Continuing to increase size and space of footprint of the building and consider a satellite to the main premises
➼Exploring the possibility of developing a training room and workshop room.
To develop and maintain a recognised framework for measuring the impact of the work that CLAY undertakes by:
➼Improving the measurement impact of current work and of future initiatives to help secure further funding
➼Developing a Framework for measurement of impact.
