Almost 12,000 young people used the Donegal Youth Service during a record year in 2017.
The recently-launched DYS Annual Report showed that 11,665 young people engaged with various projects, youth clubs and services throughout the county last year.
Mental health supports, BreakOut LGBTI Project and Daybreak are just some of the services and projects hosted for young people each year.
Donegal Youth Service Chairperson Marina Carlin said “As a volunteer I am very passionate about the work conducted by DYS. 2017 is the second year of the current three year Strategic Plan which sets out the work of the organisation, and once again I am delighted to report that all targets were met and many surpassed.”
She continued “It has been the biggest privilege of my career to have been the Chairperson of DYS for the past 3 years.”
DYS Board launch Annual Report 2017. Back row: Paul Mc Cusker (Treasurer), Declan Meehan (Director), John Byrne (Director), Dr Nicole Monaghan (Director), Brid Foley (Director)
Front row -Frank Dooley (new Chairperson), Lorraine Thompson (DYS Regional Director) and Marina Carlin (previous Chairperson)
Confidence building and positive mental health are at the core of all of the work at Donegal Youth Service.
As an integrated service, young people are invited to use as many parts of the service that are applicable to them, and DYS staff work together to ensure the best possible outcome for each individual young person.
Donegal Youth Service Regional Director, Lorraine Thompson said “DYS is a continuously growing organisation in line with the changing needs of young people. We work hard to ensure young people get the best possible service that’s as accessible as possible and 2017 was no exception.”
Marina Carlin (previous Chairperson), Lorraine Thompson (DYS Regional Director), Frank Dooley (new Chairperson)
Some of the highlights from the Annual Report include:
The mental health support service Youth Talk Donegal (Formerly Teen Talk) supported 110 young people and their families last year, with 934 one-to-one sessions taking place despite the service receiving no core funding.
There were 84 young people aged 12-30 supported through the BreakOut LGBTI Project, both in group work and on a one-to-one basis.
Launch of DYS Annual Report 2017
The Youth Information Centre delivered 224 Internet Safety and Cyberbullying workshops to young people, teachers and parents/guardians.
There were 33 young people enrolled on the Daybreak Programme, which supports young people aged 12-15 who may be experiencing difficulty in school. Six of these young people completed their Junior Cert.
There were 45 young people who completed the Reactiv8 Youth Employability programme in Donegal and Tyrone. Many of whom have since gone on to find employment, or return to further education.
There were 138 entries to the Youth Work Ireland Christmas Card competition through the Youth Outreach Project, with Matthew Clifford from Cockhill YC winning 1st place nationally.
There were 18 Community Employment participants who completed 50 nationally certified training courses in total.
LOFT (Learning Opportunities for Teens) worked with 920 young people aged 12-24, through a mix of group work, one-to-one work and drop-in.
The World Wide Voices Project, which supports young people from different ethnic backgrounds had 15 participants complete an accredited Leadership Training (OCN Level 2)
There were 172 young people who attended the Donegal Youth Council’s ‘Shape of You’ Body Image event.
For more information about any Donegal Youth Service Projects, or to get a copy of the full Annual Report 2017 please contact DYS on 074 91 29630, www.donegalyouthservice.ie, drop in to 16-18 Port Road, or find them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Donegal Youth Service are a registered charity. Charity No. CHY 15027.