At their recent AGM Regional Director Lorraine Thompson was delighted to report that the service is going from strength to strength.
She said “Donegal Youth Service goes the extra mile for young people, we are a locally based service and we respond quickly to local needs, with the support of 625 adult volunteers through the work of 34 youth clubs and projects, young people have a safe place to go to meet other young people and take part in new activities and opportunities and realise their potential’.
Professional staff to support young people in difficulty or in need, who work with young people building trust, building relationships and work with a young person so that they are better able to face the difficulty, better able to make decisions and sometimes better able to ask for help.
Training is provided in a range of areas, including the setting up a youth club, youth leader training, child protection training and a garda vetting service is provided to all volunteers.
Training was provided to almost 5000 young people in a fun, interesting and engaging manner in areas such as as leadership, personal development, mentoring, and internet safety to name but a few.
The service works with young people through drop-in centres, one to one work, group work as well as through specialist programmes for early school leavers, young carers and young people who are LGBT.
The service also organise a range of other initiatives such as the Youth Work Ireland games Donegal heats, Irish Youth Music Awards Donegal heats, Youth Factor Donegal heats and their own Annual Party in the Park in Letterkenny.
Chairperson Marina Carlin paid tribute to work of volunteers, ‘who work tirelessly in all parts of the County and give their time so generously to young people’.
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