Ball in the Hall for Romania

Ball in the Hall for Romania

8 February 2012 - by JOSH BURNS

A DOWNPATRICK cross-community youth group raised much-needed cash for poverty-stricken Romanian people by organising a Christmas party with a difference.

Around 120 young people attended the ‘Christmas Ball in the Hall’ in Downpatrick Presbyterian Church Hall on December 22.

The event raised £842 which will go towards a project this summer which will involve the construction of badly needed houses.

Guests from various Christian denominations in Downpatrick, Belfast and Banbridge enjoyed a wonderful dinner and night of entertainment for just £10.

The event was organised by the Downpatrick branch of Youth Initiatives, a province-wide organisation aimed at bringing together young people from all Christian denominations, and was the culmination of many hours of planning and preparation.

The members of Down Parish Church provided the decorations, nibbles, refreshments and starters. The congregation of Downpatrick Presbyterian Church provided the main course, some of the desserts and the venue, which is also home to the ‘Sunday Night Session,’ which is the name of the Downpatrick Youth Initiatives group.

The members of Downpatrick Methodist Church also provided desserts, and St. Colmcille’s Church at the Flying Horse — especially the Connolly, Jordan and Breen families — provided refreshments.

The evening opened with a red carpet reception for the guests, aged 14-19, who were dressed in formal style for the occasion. Tickets were initially restricted to 80, but given Youth Initiatives’ renowned flexibility the list was stretched to 120 and the evening still managed to proceed flawlessly.

Local YI members and their friends from YI projects in west Belfast, east Belfast and Banbridge were able to get their pictures taken in a semi-professional photo booth before tucking into a three-course dinner starting with fruit salad, followed by a choice of different curries, vegetables and other sides, and finishing with a selection of desserts.

The after dinner entertainment began with members of every youth group demonstrating their musical talents in an ‘open mic’ section. The audience was treated to an eclectic mix of operatic singing, a virtuosic piano recital of a piece by Einaudi, freestyle rap and a set of popular rock tracks by a band — regrettably minus a drummer — as well as many other performances.

After this, a social session began with DJ Aaron Andrews providing the music. Excitement mounted as the lights were dimmed, glow sticks were distributed and the dancing increased exponentially in intensity.

As the DJ obligingly played repeated requests for “one more song” and as the drivers of coaches became bored of waiting, it was clear that people were hesitant to leave.

“The evening was an excellent example of what Youth Initiatives is all about,” a spokesman said. “There was a sense of unity and friendship created by the collective purpose of those who attended, and the ongoing success of cross-community youth work in Downpatrick.

“The leaders and members all played their parts and we had the ultimate achievement of raising £842 for the project in Romania.”

Thirty six young people will travel to Romania this August with Youth Initiatives, through Habitat for Humanity, for what is being described as a ‘Summer Service Trip.’

Christian youth work, in this case especially by Youth Initiatives, across County Down serves a great purpose in providing fun, friendship and practising Christianity in a relaxed manner. The members are to be commended for their efforts at community outreach.

Sunday Night Session leaders and volunteers wish to thank Young’s Carpets, of Downpatrick, whose donation of a red carpet worth £50 was invaluable.