The great hall in Columb Barracks was the setting for two vibrant events on Monday, 23 November, as Midlands Regional Youth Service (MRYS) was renamed Youth Work Ireland (YWI) and the YoYo Youth Café also celebrated a relaunch. The event also saw YWI launch their strategic plan 2014-2017 and the Gaisce Bronze awards were presented to students who took part in the ALF (Athlone Looking Forward) project in Athlone and Mullingar EYE Justice & Youth Project. YWI was then presented with a Gold Standard Health Quality mark (HG Mark) in health promotion in e youth work.
By Claire Corrigan
Jackie Flannery, Chairperson of YWI, explained to Topic what the service does. “We cater for young people in Westmeath and Offaly and have over 4,000 young people who volunteer with the service and we have twenty youth clubs across Westmeath and Offaly. We cater for a wide range of planned programmes and activities for young people and seek to improve social and personal development, education, training supports through activities such as community youth projects, Garda youth diversion projects, youth clubs, youth information, drop-in service, summer projects, sports programmes, personal development programmes, creative arts programmes and homework clubs.”
Emily Pollard, a member of Westmeah Comhairle na nÓg, a youth club facilitated by YWI, told Topic about some of the work they do. “We deal with issues in our community to do with young people. Any issues they have, we discuss them and try and resolve them. Recently we invited students from local schools to a ‘Let’s Go Mental’ event in the Annebrook Hotel to raise awareness about mental health issues.”
In her speech, Regional Director at Midlands Regional Youth Service, Geraldine Lacey said that the evening was about celebrating the service’s past as well as looking to the future. “When we look back we remember in particular the people who helped create the Midland service into the dynamic service it is today. It is these foundations of strong leadership, governance and agenda that propel us, the next generation, to continue to strive for excellence in how we respond to the needs of young people. I feel very privileged to be regional director at this time – a time of strategic development, a time of opportunity and of energy. The numbers of young people engaged in the service has grown year on year. The reason for this is, in my opinion, the added value a youth service brings to communities, its 300 plus team of commited volunteers working week in, week out in their local youth clubs project and its youth centres and youth cafes where the youth services engage with young people and communities in spaces that are owned by young people and are fit for purpose.”
Sarah O’Brien, former chairperson of the Youth Action Club, who first campaigned for the café, gave a speech thanking everyone involved. “We are so proud to finally launch the new YoYo Café in its new home, Columb Barracks. We have so many people to thank. Garda Liaison, Jim Rock, who blagged us into the Barracks in the first place. Our brilliant musical talents, Justin Ryan, Frankie Byrne, Declan Murray and Justin Moffat, who started us off on our musical path. IBP Insurance, who sponsored our fabulous recording studio and Niall Breslin for providing the musical equipment. We also want to thank the legends that did up this place, Gerry, DG, Dave, Mel, Peter and Christy, who did so much work for us above and beyond our budget.”
“We now have a fully equipped music room and fabulous recording studio, the most beautiful café and a space for performances. We are so proud of our café. There are three brilliant women, without whose help this cafe wouldn’t be launched tonight; Jackie Flannery, finanical administer, Martin Murphy and interior designer and Chairperson of the Café’s Volunteer Committee, Claire Garry.”
After the launch, refreshments were provided for the guests who were also invited to take a tour of the youth cafe, music room and recording room.
