Summer '23 Short Film & Highlights

Summer 2023

Hello friends

Before we dive into a new season of youth work, we’d love to share some highlights from what was a special summer at Dreamscheme.

Sometimes it takes more than the written word to capture summer adventures, so we’ve put together a short film.

🎬 Summer ‘23 at Dreamscheme

Highlights from a Special Summer

We love summer time with our youth groups. The holiday period provides unique opportunities to spend extra time with each young person, to get away for special trips and experiences – and to reach out to new teenagers in the community.

In total, 161 young people from across Antrim and Belfast took part in our summer programmes, which included a mountain hike, two weeks at Camp Sonshine Portugal, six sports camps, and one Big Residential at the North Coast.

SPORTS CAMPS: Our six sports camps where a great opportunity to get young people active and outdoor, and to connect with new young people aged 11 and 12. It has been really encouraging to see many of our new contacts now part of a regular Dreamscheme programme, as of September.

PORTUGAL TRIP: Taking young people out of Northern Ireland to experience a new country and culture is always worth it. This year, three young leaders and a group of ten teenagers enjoyed the experience.

The three young leaders had completed our Leadership Development programme over the course of 2023 and embraced the opportunity to serve out in Portugal. They got glowing reports from all of the camp leaders in terms of building relationships with campers and working hard as leaders.

For the rest of the group, it was wonderful to see them all step out of their comfort zone and fully engage in the camp activities and small group discussions. Some young people particularly enjoyed learning about Christianity during the trip and have returned keen to grow in their faith.

BIG RESIDENTIAL: 26 young people, three young leaders, four volunteers along with our staff team headed up north to Coleraine to enjoy three days of fun, adventure and connection.

This year, a highlight was the strengthening of our Dreamscheme-wide youth community – with young people from all of our youth hubs coming together to share in the residential experience.

TEAM NEWS: After a busy and energetic summer, we needed to regroup and refocus for the new season, and so it was a real treat to take the last week of August for dedicated team time, first for training and then for a fishing retreat day!

A word of thanks

Providing amazing summer experiences for young people is not possible without our funders and donors. On behalf of the team, we want to thank everyone who has invested in our programme this summer. We truly appreciate your generosity. Thank you.

We also appreciated all the handwritten notes, WhatsApps and social media comments throughout the summer. Your encouragement means more than you know.

That’s a wrap for this newsletter. Do feel free to share with any friends who have an interest in helping young people thrive.

Until next time,

The Dreamscheme Team