Alliance Youth West Tyrone representative Michael Bower has slammed Ogra Shinn Fein for encouraging members to paint post boxes green in order to assert their “national identity”.

Michael Bower stated, “This is a pointless, immature campaign aimed at riling people and causing controversy. Ogra Shinn Fein is doing this to define areas as being republican without any concern for the real views of the people who live there.

“Ogra Shinn Fein should put their petty sectarian games behind them and encourage their members to do more constructive things with their time than painting post boxes green.

He added, “Alliance Youth are running a campaign to raise awareness about child poverty in Northern Ireland and organised a petition attracting over 400 signatures at Queen’s University’s Freshers’ Fayre calling for the Executive to address this problem.

“Perhaps Ogra Shinn Fein should take a leaf out of Alliance Youth’s book and try to address issues that actually matter to people rather than simply causing problems.”

Alliance Youth Chair Stephen Martin said: “The postponement of the Ulster Unionist’s conference shows the terrible state their party is in.

“If they cannot even organise their own party conference, how can the public expect them to deliver in government? The news of this postponement tells everyone that their link-up with the Conservatives won’t be happening at all.

“Maybe David Cameron has seen enough of them to realise he doesn’t want anything to do with them. The UUP are the poor relations in the failing Stormont Executive and today’s revelations damage them even further.”

Alliance Youth Chair Stephen Martin has called on young people to consider volunteering some of their free time to give something back to their local community.

The Lisburn representative commented: “In 2007, it is estimated there were 750,000 people volunteered their time in Northern Ireland to an array of different activities. There were 470,000 doing unpaid or voluntary work outside of organisations, often at neighbourhood level. Very often, young people don’t even realise that work they are doing, whether it is helping out with a youth group, coaching the local football team or assisting leaders at Sunday School, are forms of volunteering. Their work is worth over £ 930 million a year to Northern Ireland’s economy and their efforts must be praised by all of us across our society.

Stephen Martin added: “Yet in recent years, we have seen a significant decrease in young people continuing with their volunteering activities after a certain period of time. Even taking into account exams, social pressures, changes in interests, part-time employment or even moving away to university, young people are still eager to pitch in if they have the time.

“I would urge all young people to make the time to seek out volunteering opportunities and give something back to their local community. Small steps by individuals will help make the substantial progress Northern Ireland desperately needs if it is to move towards a truly united community.”

Alliance Youth Chair Stephen Martin hailed the success of Queen’s University Alliance in encouraging over 400 young people to sign up to their Child Poverty Campaign, as well as recruiting a record number of students to the Party during Queen’s Freshers day. 

Stephen Martin said, “Queen’s Freshers’ Bazaar saw over 400 young people sign up to our petition on child poverty, calling on the Office of First Minister and deputy First Minister to tackle the issue urgently.  

“The Executive continues to fail to meet, while all the time people see their living costs spiralling. We will simply not tolerate the Executive’s inaction.  I commend all those who showed their support for our petition and assure them that Alliance Youth will continue to press for urgent action on child poverty.”  

Queen’s Alliance Chair Michael Bower added “Wednesday’s record number of people joining Alliance shows that many are getting sick of the same old tired politics in Northern Ireland. It is clear that young people see Alliance as the real alternative to the politics of the past.”