The latest episode of the Talking Piece find us in conversation with Rory. a beneficiary of the MIND and Aspire programme at Northern Ireland Alternatives. Rory talks openly about what was happening in his life before being referred to Alternatives and also talks very warmly of the help he received while working with us. This is an inspiring story of hope, that when some people don't see any future for themselves there are still options if people choose to care. Very thankful to Rory, Tim and Emmet for taking the time to share about this vital piece of work that is quite literally saving lives here in NorthernIreland

episode 7 of our latest season focusses on the impact of the STARS programme. Striving Towards A Restorative Society seeks to increase the use of restorative practices within a number of targeted communities. On this episode we hear from more participants who have taken part in the initiative, specifically how they are using what they have learned in day to day life and in their work life as well. This programme is funded by Communities in Transition programme via the Northern Ireland Executive. #STARSRJ

This weeks episode explores the B.A.N.D. project (Build, Advocate, Nurture, Develop) for aspiring leaders from within the PUL community. Northern Ireland Alternatives' Operations Manager, Debbie Hammier explains the need for the project and where it fits into the restorative ethos of the organisation and Stacey Graham, talks about the benefits she has received as a result of participating on the programme.

This weeks episode explores work being done at Alternatives in the area of restorative wellbeing. Utilising a joined approach to physical and mental health with a restorative element has really seen great results, we hear from Restorative practitioner Pete Wray and some participants on the programme, about what happens and how it has helped them deal with things in their day to day lives

This weeks episode looks briefly at the purpose and impact of the SAFE project, the work that has been carried out so far and some of the learning that has taken place as a result of it. The SAFE project forms part of a wider programme funded through Communities in Transition funding.

This week's episode explores an event organised by Alternatives to engage local churches with our work and also to explore the connection between the values of restorative justice and the teachings of the church. Greater Shankill Alternatives site Manager, Billy Drummond explains about how the event came about and some of the attendees share their thoughts and what they walked away with from the event.

The latest episode of the Talking Piece podcast follows up on work being done through our BUILD project which seeks to address the issues caused by dereliction in the Shankill area and how we are working as an organisation to restore the landscape of the area and seek to regenerate unused land for the good of the community.

Mark Finnis is the director of L30 relational systems and an Independent Thinking associate and one of the UK's leading exponents of restorative practice. With many years experience working with schools, local government agencies and social services, he is in great demand as a speaker and trainer, helping organisations adopt restorative practices in a way that is practical and achievable. We caught up with Mark to find out how he first got interested in restorative practice and how that has developed over the years.

The last episode of season 2 finds us in conversation with Stuart Douglas and Beverly Brown who work on NI Alternatives programme, Aspire. Aspire seeks to work specifically with young men in Northern Ireland in a restorative manner. You will hear from Stuart and Beverly how this works and some of the impact their work has had, you will also hear from a beneficiary of the programme and how working with the staff has impacted their life. This episode is released as part of Restorative Justice Week. www.alternativesrj.co.uk

Episode 18 of the Talking Piece podcast focusses on mental health. Greater Shankill Alternatives has been providing access to a technique called havening that aims to help people deal with trauma's they have faced and work towards reducing the impact of anxiety that comes through them. We hear from 3 participants all with very different issues they have faced and they talk with our resident therapist Emmett about their experience with havening. Each one had a very different thought process about this but they all experienced positive results from their sessions with Emmet. We are glad to be able to share these stories with you and we want to say a massive thank you to Emmet and the three participants for sharing their stories. It is our hope that if someone listens to these and needs help that they feel inspired and encouraged to reach out and get the support they need. If you live in any of our office areas then please get in touch with us and we will help in any way that we can. All of our office sites contact details are on our website www.alternativesrj.co.uk Or please reach out to us via our facebook pages Alternatives RJ