Celebrations in Northern
Ireland

Derry City and Strabane District has become Northern Ireland’s first ever UNICEF Child Friendly Community

Derry City and Strabane District joined UNICEF UK’s Child Friendly Cities and Communities programme in 2018. Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) and the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT) have acted as lead partners on behalf of the wider partnership since the application. Education Authority (EA) Youth Service became a lead partner in 2021. Youth Justice Agency (YJA) became a lead partner in 2023. The application and accountable body is the Western Area Outcomes Group (WAOG).

This partnership embedded children’s rights informed by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into policy development, decision-making, and service delivery. With input from children and young people, in Derry six key areas were prioritised: Cooperation and Leadership; Communication; Culture; Equal and Included; Education and Learning; and Healthy.

By joining forces, the local partners delivered strategic projects and initiatives across the area that created impact by championing children’s rights and equipping young people with the knowledge and confidence to exercise their rights.

Celebrating Derry’s recognition, UNICEF UK’s Programme Director for Child Friendly Cities and Communities, Naomi Danquah, said: “It was inspiring to see children and young people leading the celebrations and showcasing the change they have helped bring about. Derry and Strabane’s recognition as a UNICEF Child Friendly Community is built on genuine partnership and participation.”

What does this look like in Derry?

Some key highlights from Derry’s journey towards becoming a Child Friendly Community are:

• Almost 600 professionals have undertaken CFC child rights training from Mar 2018- Mar 2025 (with a pause during the pandemic).
• Over 500 children and young people have participated in training and programme activities.
• The voice and input of children and young people has been supported through significant scale initiatives such as Your Say Child Rights (2023) and the Mayor’s Initiative (2024/5).
• Child rights are embedded through policy and procedure in areas such as complaints, informed consent, and job descriptions.
• VOYPIC (Voice of Young People in Care), young people with care experience co-designed 12 meeting standards which are now embedded in the care system.
• A Youth Wellness Web was created by the young people of Derry City and Strabane District to manage concerns around mental health.
• Emotional Wellbeing Teams are placed in schools, responding to the concerns of young people by making emotional health support more accessible and child friendly.
• Period Positivity campaign work, including multiple resources and workshops within schools and youth clubs demonstrated a youth-led workstream focused on upholding the dignity and empowerment of girls and young women.
• There is a consistent way of engaging with children and young people, with a youth voice structure in place with the North West Ministry of Youth.
• Children and young people worked with services to make a number of parks more inclusive.
• Children and young people helped to develop innovative approaches to communications materials and methods, such as through the Dual Language Defenders work and the Youth Justice Agency review of guidance.

What do Derry’s children and young people say about it?

Rebecca Dunn, who is a representative of the Youth Voice group, said, “This journey with Unicef has given us the space to celebrate the strength, creativity, and voices of every young person in our community. Derry and Strabane may be recognised as a Child Friendly City and Community, but we know our work doesn’t stop here. As a member of the North West Ministry of Youth, we won’t stop until every single child feels safe, supported, and confident that their voice truly matters. Our ideas, our hopes, and our concerns shape the future of this place ,and we promise to keep listening, keep standing up for all children, and keep pushing for change.”

Kian Hawes, lead facilitator of recognition and Have Your Say events, said, “Child Friendly Derry and Strabane, is committed to building communities where us children feel safe from harm and discrimination, I can speak for my peers in stating that, already, we are seeing the difference. Under the Education badge, we have seen that the adults who work with us — youth workers, teachers, and social workers — are becoming more aware of children’s rights, and more respectful in how they listen and engage.

To me, a 13-year-old citizen of the city this recognition is about building a community where my voice shapes decisions, my rights and the rights of my peers are upheld, and our futures are brighter. I joined the youth voice as I wanted to see change for all young people in the North West, I want to see better quality education, infrastructure and mental health services, but I also wanted to make sure our voices are heard by decision makers.  I now feel that my voice is heard, but I want to it go further, and I believe it can.”

What does Derry City and Strabane District Council say about it?

At a celebration event marking Derry’s recognition, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Ruairí McHugh, said it was a fitting celebration of what has been a collective effort by the entire community.

“Today’s celebration is all about our young people,” he said. “Their voices, ideas, and energy have driven this journey from the very beginning.

“It’s a moment of pride not just for the Council and our partners, but for every child and young person in the City and District who helped make this recognition possible.

“Together, we are building a region where children feel safe, valued, and empowered to shape the future of their communities.”