The Duncairn Write Club is for teenagers from 13 years up who are into creative writing and want to meet others with similar interests from the large number of secondary schools within easy reach of the Centre. The club provides a space for young people to ‘hang out’ and to pursue their own writing projects in the company of adult writers. connect 2017 • 24 FIGHTING WORDS BELFAST What’s been happening at Fighting Words Belfast? IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS FIGHTING WORDS BELFAST HAS ENGAGED WITH 2,350 CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE. Outreach activities have also taken place in partnership with a range of community and other organisations including Children’s BBC,the children’s charity Barnardos and the new Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy. All workshops take place outside a classroom setting, with the intention of ‘de-schooling’ the creative writing experience.Feedback after each workshop by students and teachers con- sistently show that levels of engagement are high and that the work is valued. The principal role of the volunteers is to engage with and support the children and young people in their imaginative journey. Volunteer mentors are the heart of the work and over 150 volunteer mentors have been recruited and trained to date. The Skainos Square Write Club invites children aged 7- 12 to create a weekly drop-in space where they can engage in a range of informal story-making and illustration activities.