Athy News
On
Monday the 21st of January a large number of Town
Councillors, TD’s, and young people were gathered at the Athy Youth
Project, Kildare Youth Services (KYS). However this time the meeting had
nothing to do with water….
Minister for State, Seَan
Power, at the Department of Justice Equality & Law Reform had come down
to the project to present a cheque worth €12,000.-.
Bess
van Sleeuwen (Project Leader of the Athy Youth Project), took the
audience back to 1990 when the project was first established. She gave
an overview of the service from then till now and referred to a survey
done in 1996, commissioned by KYS, amongst young people in the town
around ‘youth needs’ and she mentioned how 12 years later that same
document is still very relevant. Some of the key findings were around
common feelings amongst young people that the town was boring and that
there was nothing to do for them, that a social centre for young people
was needed and that they felt there was a lack of job opportunities. In
a more recent survey ‘Our Views Anybody Listening’ also commissioned by
KYS in 2006 similar issues came up, over nearly 1000 young people stated
that a safe place to ‘hang out’ was a priority to them. To date we still
do not have that space in Athy but we have been promised that in 2008,
we will see a real difference in this regard. KYS can not provide the
capital infrastructure, we do not have the resources, but we can provide
quality services and training and support by qualified youth workers.
Our young people deserve quality space!
Bess
van Sleeuwen also mentioned that on a weekly basis between 55 to 60
young people engage in the project where they themselves decide on
activities and initiate them in an informal educational setting. These
activities and the process are facilitated by professional youth work
staff and increase self esteem and confidence amongst young people. It
gives them an opportunity to critically assess their situation and what
is affecting it. On the long term this will all contribute to the young
people’s personal development.
David
Moore one of the participants in the youth project told the audience in
his speech why he comes to the youth project and what he likes about it.
Liz
O’ Sullivan Director of KYS, explained that KYS’ strategic plan was to
be launched in January and that the plan would form a five year road map
for the organisation. She mentioned that Youth Work for KYS is about
providing quality services for and with young people in the form of
Youth Projects & clubs, Tracking and Mentoring Youth, Counselling and
Groups. Youth work is also about combining our efforts working together
to ensure positive outcomes for young people.
Key
to the strategic focus will be: to advocate together with young people
for young people’ rights. This will happen in collaboration with all of
key agencies and stakeholders in this area. She expressed her vision
that together efforts should be doubled to ensure all agencies & clubs
together will make a difference to individual young people but also to
the young people as a collective in the town. It is imperative that we
ensure that there is a real change in the facilities, indoor and
outdoor, the like of which there are in other areas across the country.
Liz
O’ Sullivan ended by extending a big thank you to all present, for their
support and commitment to the work of KYS and to Minister Power in
particular for his support of KYS right throughout the year. Thanks
were also extended to parents, volunteers, staff, young people and
agencies for their work and commitment to young people.
In addressing the audience Minister Power said that
it was very important to keep focusing on the positive developments
there had been regarding youth affairs within County Kildare, he
highlighted the partnership approach used in securing and delivering
Kildare’s first Youth Café in the Curragh Youth Project in which Kildare
Youth Services staff had worked with young people and the army amongst
others to bring about a facility for young people that will have a
hugely positive impact on their lives.
The Minister also stated that he was committed to
working with his political colleagues within the local area to ensure
that potential is maximized in bringing similar types of facilities to
other parts of the region.
The
grant will be used to provide additional resources for young people in
the area.
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