An innovative scheme keeps young Catholics away from the riots as the marching season reaches its climax, writes Susan McKay

'It's a hard thing to say, but no matter how good it is, no youth work can give a bigger buzz than rioting," says Michael Burns (26). He should know. He's a youth worker and, he freely admits, he used to be a rioter.

In the days running up to and including today, he's in Co Down, in the vast and beautiful Castlewellan Forest Park on the edge of the Mourne Mountains. Joining him here is a group of 17 young people, aged from 10 to 17, from north Belfast, where the Twelfth last year was marked by one of the fiercest riots the area has seen in a long time.

"In times of tension, we take them away," he says. "If there's trouble on the streets or even the potential for it, it's the only way to make sure they won't get involved."

We're sitting on plastic crates in a field, surrounded by giant teepees and ancient beech trees. There's a big skipping game going on and most of the young people are involved, cheering loudly every time a youth worker stumbles or falls. Earlier, there was kayaking and wet-boulder walking. Later, there'll be a walk in the dark through the forest, with ghost stories, and then hot chocolate and marshmallows round a campfire.

"We do activities that are about team-building and using your initiative," says Burns. "But mostly it is about fun. Young people feel the tension in Belfast at this time of year. This is very relaxed."

Fionnuala (10) is avidly pursuing insects. She has a ladybird and a slight, trembling creature with bright green wings perched on her small hand.

"I read a book about beetles and I know a lot about them," she says. "They're made to match the leaves."

She loves the summer camp. "It's brilliant. We're in a group and we enjoy each other's company and our group leaders are very kind to us."

What would she be doing back home in Belfast? "Playing Barbies," she says.

Burns works for the Star Neighbourhood Centre in the working-class New Lodge Road area. It is an interface area, and the centre's youth project was set up in 1997 to help prevent violent clashes between young local Catholics and young Protestants from the loyalist Tiger Bay area on the other side of Duncairn Gardens.

"There's been a massive decrease in violence since then," says Burns.

However, there have been bad times, too, when "recreational rioting", as the police call it, has led to injury and even death.

"Glen Branagh was the best example of just how dangerous it can be," says Burns. Known to his friends as "Spacer", 16-year-old Branagh had his hand blown off and died when he raised his arm to throw a pipe bomb at young nationalists across the interface in 2001.

"One of our young lads had his face very badly scarred for life during another night of trouble," says Burns. "It is sad. They think they are defending the community. It is strange, too. A few days ago on the New Lodge, four police jeeps pulled in. Within seconds, a crowd of young people had gathered. They feel the tension and they sort of cling to it."

Burns says the peace process excluded the young. "One day it is fine to attack the state, and the next it is not. There was a lack of education."

As well as providing facilities and activities, the centre runs personal development courses. North Belfast has an alarming rate of suicide, particularly among young people. Some of the children at the camp have experienced it in their families. Burns and his co-workers encourage them to explore their opinions and emotions and to express themselves.

Conor (17) is a volunteer worker at the summer camp. He got involved in the Star youth scheme when he was 10. He'd go to the centre to play snooker or to use the computers.

"Before that I was knocking about the streets with nothing to do," he says. "Sometimes I would get into riots."

What was it like? "Scary, really scary," he says. Why did he do it, then? He shrugs. "Don't know. I'd no sense. That was just it."

He enjoys his new responsibilities. "It is tough and challenging and really, really good," he says. "Some of the kids are very independent and very sensitive."

He thought about becoming a youth worker, but has changed his mind and plans to do an apprentice programme as a car mechanic. He admires the Star workers.

"They've to put up with young people going nuts and that," he says. "They're really good people."

There are plenty of youth clubs in New Lodge, he adds. "There's the Grey Gables, the Corner House and the Artillery Youth Centre as well as the Star."

He's not sure he likes the countryside. "It's too far from home. There's not much to do. Just fields and that."

Some of those at the summer camp are the children of former republican prisoners. They are accompanied by Sinn Féin councillor Tierna Cunningham, from the Tar Isteach project.

"These kids get picked on by others in the community, called 'Provies' and the like," Cunningham says. "They need help to build their confidence."

Pearse (12) is having a fine summer. "I was in Ballycastle all last week with the cross-community project, the Irish Children's Fund," he says. "I only got back on Friday, and then I came down here. When I go home, I'm off to Turkey with my mum and dad."

The Ballycastle trip included children from loyalist areas of Belfast, including Shankill Road and Ballysillan.

"They're all dead-on," says Pearse. "They're just the same as us. Not once did anyone slag people off - except when we had the group discussions. We had to talk about issues in north Belfast: marching - is it good or bad?; flags; should there be integrated schools to get more peace?"

The young people had no trouble resolving the most recalcitrant of the North's problems. "We all agreed," Pearse says. "Protestants should be allowed to pass through Ardoyne peacefully." He loves the debates. "I have a big mouth, I like to talk."

Seamus Hamilton (20) is the camp leader. "It's a great experience for these kids," he says. "They are marginalised. People call them anti-social. I wish they could see them now. It's massive."

He and Burns have been planning this camp for months, but they did so without knowing whether they'd still be employed by this summer.

"Our funding is completely insecure," he says. "We only heard four days ago that our jobs are safe for another year. A lot of people would have jumped. It's not fair on your family. But I love my job."

The Star youth scheme isn't involved in any cross-community activities at present.

"We have the mobile phone networks," says Burns, referring to the community workers on both sides of the interface who keep in contact to defuse potential trouble. "We tried a project involving our young people and the ones they riot with - it took off quite well but then the violence got quite intense and it sort of fell apart. Some of the parents don't approve, anyway."

Arising from the Dunlop Report on the 2001 Holy Cross Girls' Primary School blockade in north Belfast, there are "community empowerment partnerships" in the area. "It is quite concerning, though, that there isn't the same infrastructure in loyalist areas," says Burns. "Billy Hutchinson of the PUP is doing great work in Mount Vernon [ a loyalist estate in north Belfast]. He's brave. He says things his community doesn't necessarily agree with. You have to do that, challenge attitudes."

Burns feels the authorities take community and youth work for granted.

"When it's quiet on Duncairn Gardens, they seem to think that means the problem is over and there's no need to put any more money into it," he says. "In reality, it is quiet because a lot of hard work has gone on behind the scenes."

Hamilton nods agreement. "It does your head in, that," he says.