This project, Supporting Communities NI 2015, will host 8 long term EVS volunteers on placements in Northern Ireland. The volunteers are from Norway, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Italy and Poland. Placements will be for 12 months starting between August and October 2015 and most will build on previous experience of hosting EVS volunteers. There is one new hosting project, The Black Box, and a new volunteer role incorporated into the Bryson placement, that of supporting vulnerable families through the Family Supports and Surestart work. The volunteers will be based in 5 different hosting projects: - Belfast and Lisburn Women's Aid, where the volunteers will be supporting children and women who have suffered domestic violence. 3 volunteers will be based in different Refuges in Belfast and Lisburn and their activities will be primarily Refuge based and primarily child focused, although the volunteers will also be involved in creche and group work outside Refuge and possibly in direct contact with the women. - The Black Box, Belfast where the volunteer will support the outreach work with people with learning disabilities and other activities within the public venue. The volunteer will work alongside the Outreach Officer and help with organising events such as the Black Moon club night by and for people with learning disabilities and Creating Connections for older people with a learning disability. - the Bryson EVS volunteer will supports Minority Ethnic groups and families under stress. Within the BME part of the role, the volunteer will support Irish Traveller and Roma communities, including children and young people. Involvement in the Family work will include supporting the staff with individual and group work with children and with parent(s). - Two volunteers will be hosted in North Down YMCA supporting BME communities and local children, young people and families. This will include helping in the creche, supporting centre based and off site youth work and engaging BME groups (especially the Polish community) in activities. - The Crescent Arts Centre, where the volunteer will facilitate involvement in the arts and introduce creative activities to local communities through the outreach and centre based programme of events and activities The volunteers will gain new skills and competences, develop their linguistic abilities and undergo personal development. They will help local communities to gain new knowledge and experience of the project activities, as well as a greater European awareness through their contact with young Europeans. It is hoped that there will be increased health and wellbeing for all involved in the activities.