0:00:05 > 0:00:06Hi, there.
0:00:06 > 0:00:11You are very welcome to this first episode of our brand-new programme Community Life.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21This is where you'll hear the latest TV charity appeal
0:00:21 > 0:00:24and community news from around Northern Ireland.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29I'll be finding out more about one of the best wildlife
0:00:29 > 0:00:32volunteering roles around this year.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35We visit the Oasis Youth Centre in Portadown, where teenagers
0:00:35 > 0:00:40from migrant families explore their culture and make friends.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43And we'll hear about an unusual volunteering role
0:00:43 > 0:00:44in our police stations.
0:00:48 > 0:00:49More on that later.
0:00:49 > 0:00:54First, today's appeal is presented by Ireland rugby international Chris Henry.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01My Ireland rugby career was thrown into doubt just over a year ago.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03I suffered a mini stroke the morning of a Test match.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07I was due to play the Springboks and had to pull out last minute.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09I had an operation to fix the problem,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12but it brought home to me just how devastating a brain injury can be.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17A brain injury can mean a dramatic change in a person's life.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Every year more than 2,000 adults and 1,000 children
0:01:19 > 0:01:22in Northern Ireland are affected by a brain injury.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Many live with the long-term effects.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Families and friends are affected too.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30But with the help and support of the charity Brain Injury Matters,
0:01:30 > 0:01:32individuals can rebuild their lives
0:01:32 > 0:01:35and reach their full potential in family and community life.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40We're just going to place the foot and the heel onto the ball.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43And what I want you to do is just bring your knee up towards you...
0:01:43 > 0:01:47Rene sustained her brain injury after suffering a stroke four years ago.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51Since my accident, I find it very hard to get around.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53My vision has suffered.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56I can't get up the stairs, so I have to sleep down the stairs.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00And whenever we go to stand, you want to come forward and then up...
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Since my injury, my neuro physio has helped me an awful lot.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06She's improved my walking.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09She taught me how to stand and I'm walking a lot better.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12The charity has helped me an awful lot.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15I meet people with similar circumstances
0:02:15 > 0:02:17and I'm growing in confidence.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Well, we'll play charades,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22so we're going to have a volunteer to go first.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25- Any...?- I'll go. - Right, Rob, up you get.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28'A brain injury impacts on individuals in different ways.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32'For some, this is only a small bearing on their daily lives.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34'For others, it has a drastic, life-changing impact.'
0:02:34 > 0:02:36APPLAUSE
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Scott suffered his brain injury after an attack in Lisburn.
0:02:41 > 0:02:42He was in a coma for three months.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46And you stand up there on your left foot. That's fantastic.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49I have to get along for the rest of my life like this and...
0:02:49 > 0:02:52It does kind of depress me sometimes,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56but I have to get on with it, get on with my life and enjoy it.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59And each time Scott pulls the rope down, the slack...
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Through Brain Injury Matters, I enjoy doing the activities
0:03:02 > 0:03:04and I've made some very good friends.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09At the summer camp, we do clay pigeon shooting, archery
0:03:09 > 0:03:14and kayaking and the charity helps me believe in myself.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Acquired brain injury is often a hidden disability.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24Peter, it can mean unseen challenges in people's lives.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26It can and it does. It...
0:03:26 > 0:03:29It affects how people interact with other people.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31It's intrusive, it's subtle,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34you can't see it in the way in which you can see a physical injury.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36So, how can the public help Brain Injury Matters?
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Chris, our services are provided through
0:03:38 > 0:03:42a combination of professional clinicians and others with
0:03:42 > 0:03:46a knowledge of specialist knowledge of brain injury rehabilitation.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49This year that will cost about £0.5 million.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53And anyone can help, because all of that money will be raised through fundraising.
0:03:54 > 0:03:55So, for me, it's very rewarding
0:03:55 > 0:03:58when you see goals that may initially seem very small
0:03:58 > 0:04:02but actually have a really big impact on that person's life.
0:04:02 > 0:04:03So, knowing that we can actually help them
0:04:03 > 0:04:06achieve those goals is really rewarding.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10The charity has changed my life and I can't thank them enough.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14I have something to look forward to and I'm building myself a new future.
0:04:15 > 0:04:16Go!
0:04:21 > 0:04:23APPLAUSE
0:04:23 > 0:04:26If you'd like to donate or volunteer to Brain Injury Matters,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29you'll be making a dramatic and positive impact on people's lives.
0:04:29 > 0:04:30Thank you.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34If you'd like to contribute to Brain Injury Matters,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37visit our website and click on the "donate" button.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Visit their website or call them for more information.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Now, migration remains a big talking point today,
0:04:46 > 0:04:50but we don't often think about what people leave behind in terms of
0:04:50 > 0:04:53their culture when they move to new countries.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56The Oasis Youth Centre in Portadown is helping Portuguese
0:04:56 > 0:05:00teenagers to reconnect with their roots.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02RHYTHMIC MUSIC PLAYS
0:05:04 > 0:05:08Families are moving abroad into our society and find it difficult
0:05:08 > 0:05:10to adapt for a variety of reasons.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14In our club, we have about 12 different nationalities,
0:05:14 > 0:05:17and in that environment they can develop new
0:05:17 > 0:05:19cross-community friendships.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22We're always looking for new volunteers
0:05:22 > 0:05:25that'll come and fit into the diverse programmes we run.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29We get to know new people and people get to know my culture.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Oasis was the best thing that happened to me.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35It's not just the club, it's a family thing.
0:05:35 > 0:05:36I love Oasis.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Now, a police cell can feel a lonely place
0:05:45 > 0:05:49if you're unfortunate enough to find yourself in custody.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51We've been meeting with two volunteers who help
0:05:51 > 0:05:54to ensure that detainees are well supported.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Makes a big change, now.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Well, custody visitors perform a very important
0:06:01 > 0:06:03and critical public role.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07The custody visitor's role is one which is the eyes
0:06:07 > 0:06:09and ears of the Policing Board.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Where we can't be, custody visitors can be.
0:06:12 > 0:06:17Custody visitors make sure that those that are in custody
0:06:17 > 0:06:20can get their entitlements and their rights
0:06:20 > 0:06:23while they're in custody of the police.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27Have you had any food or have you had anything to drink at all?
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Yeah, I had a cup of tea and a glass of water,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32but I haven't had anything to eat, but I'm all right.
0:06:32 > 0:06:33We arrive unannounced.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37We're given access to the detained person and we're given access
0:06:37 > 0:06:41to the custody record, depending on the detained person's permission.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45I feel that the whole report that will go in on each
0:06:45 > 0:06:48visit to the Policing Board helps rubber-stamp either
0:06:48 > 0:06:52the governance or the processes that are being carried out
0:06:52 > 0:06:54by the police in detention.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57You're also reassuring the public out there that
0:06:57 > 0:07:02if they are unfortunate enough to find themselves in a...
0:07:02 > 0:07:06to be detained, that their welfare is constantly being monitored
0:07:06 > 0:07:08by the independent custody visitors.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12We would see somewhere in the region of about 9,000 people per year
0:07:12 > 0:07:13coming through our doors.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Of that particular group,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17about one in ten will have some kind of mental health issue
0:07:17 > 0:07:21and about one in five will have tendencies towards self harm.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25So, that means that their care in this suite can be extremely challenging.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28And, again, having additional external scrutiny, in terms of the approaches
0:07:28 > 0:07:32that we take towards safeguarding that is really vital to how we go about maintaining that.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36This is one very important cog in the big wheel of policing
0:07:36 > 0:07:40and I would encourage anyone that would like to give of their time
0:07:40 > 0:07:42and do this public service.
0:07:42 > 0:07:43We need volunteers.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45Please come forward.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Training will be available and contact the Policing Board.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Now, how about volunteering here on Rathlin
0:07:58 > 0:08:01in Northern Ireland's largest sea bird colony?
0:08:01 > 0:08:05Colin Graham, you are in charge of volunteers for the RSPB.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Breeding season really kicks off next month,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10but how do volunteers help yourselves and the birds?
0:08:10 > 0:08:15OK, well, what they do is they really show or visitors what
0:08:15 > 0:08:18they're looking at and they help them down through the centre here.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21We get about 15,000 visitors through the gates.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25So, what makes a good volunteer? Do you have to really love birds?
0:08:25 > 0:08:27No, not necessarily, as long as you love people
0:08:27 > 0:08:31and you love talking to people, then that's really what we need from you.
0:08:31 > 0:08:32If, er...
0:08:32 > 0:08:34If you like the birds, then that's an added bonus to us,
0:08:34 > 0:08:39but we get people travelling from all over the world to come here and volunteer with us.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43So, if people want to find out more, how do they contact you?
0:08:43 > 0:08:46So, the best way is going on to our website and all the information
0:08:46 > 0:08:49is on there and then they can apply directly through that.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51We're looking for people for, sort of, two-weekly slots
0:08:51 > 0:08:55from now through until the end of September.
0:08:55 > 0:08:56Colin, thank you.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58Contact details for Community Life
0:08:58 > 0:09:01are on our website's community notice board.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Thanks for watching.
0:09:03 > 0:09:04I'll see you next time.