Long-serving Newtownabbey youth support worker retires after 40 years of service

Ann Stewart stood down from her post at Glengormley Youth Centre on Monday, December 19 after serving in the role for 40 years.

Speaking to the Newtownabbey Times, Ann, who had been involved in leading the youth club at Carnmoney Parish Church before taking up her position at the Glenvarna Drive facility said: “I am really going to miss the young people. It was great to be involved in the lives of so many children and teens over the years.

“You don’t know what baggage they are bringing with them and being in the role, it was all about the child and helping to try and guide them.

"I’ll also miss the youth workers. I was lucky to work with some great people over the years and there was a good team across Newtownabbey. We always received fantastic training to be able to adapt with the role.

"Things have changed so much since I started, but you have to move with the times. I was lucky to be based in Glengormley where the facilities are really good.”

Throughout Ann’s time at the venue, located beside Integrated College Glengormley, she became involved in youth outreach work alongside her colleague Tommy Dallas.

She explained: “There would have been a group of young people who would have gathered at Farmley Shops on the Antrim Road. Tommy and I would have gone and tried to divert the teenagers away from potential anti-social behaviour and get them involved in activities at the youth club.

"At the time I drove an old blue Skoda. This is before driving a Skoda became trendy and there weren’t as many on the roads here. The young people recognised my car over time and were able to spot me coming!

"This was fairly successful and we got a number of young people coming to the club. They would have played pool or football and girls would have come and had a chat and a cup of tea. I was able to build up a good relationship with some of the young people and they were even contacting me when they had come to the attention of the police!

"The Board then took the decision to appoint a dedicated youth outreach worker and we were able to focus on the running of the club.”

Ann also became involved in cross-community activities and helped to bring people together.

The Old Carrick Road resident stated: “We began a programme with the team at Ardoyne Youth Club. The ‘Troubles’ weren’t just as bad, but there was still tension and people were still apprehensive about going to areas they were unfamiliar with.

"The plan was to stage activities turn about between Ardoyne and Glengormley, but some of the parents were hostile to this and in the end we had to get a neutral venue. Even though some of the children were from a Protestant/unionist background and some were from a Catholic/nationalist tradition, they were experiencing the same issues. Being involved in the this programme was very rewarding.”

As the cost of living crisis continues to impact on families across the province, Ann said the issue has always been there to some extent, with some children coming to Glengormley Youth Club without being fed.

She continued: “Some of the young people were coming to us hungry. We would have cooked meals like spaghetti bolognese, soup or beans on toast. We would have made quick meals. If you’d made stew that took a long time and then said ‘that will do the children who come tomorrow’ the children who needed fed may not have been there the following night.

"We would have got the reduced bread from Tesco and put it in the freezer so as we always had a supply of bread to make toast for those who needed a quick meal.”

The Glengormley facility caters for approximately 300 young people each week aged from Primary 5 through to 18.

Detailing the “diverse” make-up of the centre, Ann said: “We have children from many backgrounds attending the youth club, including Protestant, Catholic, Hindu, Muslim and young people from Eastern Europe.

"We took part in an eight-week programme a few years ago to help Syrian children integrate into the local community. The language was a barrier at the start, but it worked and they settled into the community.”

Commenting on what she will do with her spare time now that she has retired from the centre, Ann added: “I’m always kept busy. I look after my grandchildren, go to the gym and do aerobics, plus I love to read, so I might be able to read more. I’m not ready to lie down just yet!”

Ann has been full of praise for the youth service and the support it provides to young people across Northern Ireland.

She said: “Youth support workers do a fantastic job. Every one that I worked with has been amazing. One of the biggest challenges faced by youth provision is the funding. It has experienced cuts over the last decade.

"We try to do subsidised trips each term at Christmas and Easter. The trips are brilliant and really enjoyable, but it’s getting more difficult to do. I’d urge those who make the big decisions to allocate as much funding as possible to the service. It’s a vital resource for our young people.”