Conor Largey

Getting involved with the National Lottery-funded Ardoyne Youth Club’s Breaking Through Barriers project helped him to transform his path from one that had been characterised by skipping school and getting in trouble, to a life dedicated to helping young people achieve their goals and potential.

When The National Lottery Community Fund was developing their young people’s funding programme in Northern Ireland 10 years ago, Conor shared his experiences of growing up in North Belfast, helping give an insight into the issues affecting young people. Since then, this programme has distributed £65.5 million to 155 projects, supporting nearly 100,000 children and young people across Northern Ireland, helping them get the skills they need for their future, have better relationships with their support networks and good health and well-being.

He progressed on to become the youth development worker and then Coordinator of the National Lottery funded £500,000 Hidden Communities Project in St Peter’s Immaculata Youth Centre, helping at-risk young people change their lifestyles. And then developed the L.E.A.D (Learning, Engaging And Developing) Project in Holy Trinity Youth Centre, enabling young people to take the ‘Lead’, reconnect with their community, develop key social and life and leadership skills and gain valuable qualifications and employability opportunities, supported through a further £500,000 of National Lottery money. These efforts have earned him national recognition in Northern Ireland and contributed to the positive development of Belfast's youth sector.

Today, Conor continues to be an aspirational senior youth leader in west Belfast, inspiring the next generation, giving them a voice and the confidence to shape their own futures.

Conor Largey said: “Getting involved with the National Lottery-funded Ardoyne Youth Club’s Breaking Through Barriers project helped me to transform my path from one that had been characterised by skipping school and getting in trouble, to a life dedicated to helping young people achieve their goals and potential."

"Every day we are working with young people on the street, helping them to gain qualifications, training opportunities, and make new friends. I feel honoured to be able to continue this tradition of transformative National Lottery funded projects through my current work with their Empowering Young People programme in West Belfast.”