About Us

Off the Streets is a charitable organisation with an elected management committee. It was formed in March 1996 out of concern from local parents, local City Council politicians and youth workers regarding the growing numbers of young people on the streets in the Greater Shantallow Area increasingly engaging in "antisocial" behaviour and risk taking behaviour including abuse and misuse of alcohol and drugs as well as engaging in behaviour that creates a climate of fear within the community.

It is one of the few existing Street Work projects in Northern Ireland and the only one currently operating in the Derry City Council area. It has developed a range of work and practice that combine outreach, centre based, referral and group work. It attempts to address alienation felt by young people (of both genders) but primarily young men who have effectively been lost or at risk of being lost to all mainstream community /youth provision and educational providers.

Initially Off the Streets was set up "To respond to to the identified and assessed needs of young people on the streets in the Greater Shantallow Area whose behaviour is a cause for public concern". It aimed to do this through a variety of measures including:

• Mapping the geographical area and conduct an audit of anti social behaviour, so as, to allow for accurate targeting of resources
• Liaising closely with young people in developing an action plan which will be relevant and attractive to them
• Liaising with statutory, voluntary and community providers of services, eliciting their support for the initiative
• Drawing upon partnership with appropriate others, an action plan for all area, which will reflect the recreational, social, physical ,cultural, education and personal development of young people based upon research into their needs
• Liaising closely with parents, householders and local adults and recruiting volunteers to assist in delivering the services of the initiative