2006 was a very fruitful and important year for KYS. More children and young people than ever before participated in clubs and groups across the county. “We in KYS are very proud” said Liz O’Sullivan, Regional Director, “that we have continued to provide quality youth work opportunities, youth counselling, mentoring, family support and information to thousands of young people and adults in County Kildare through out 2006.” This would not have been possible without the dedication and support of 236 volunteers, board members, staff, partner agencies and donors” Liz O’Sullivan said.
There were new developments a plenty in 2006, new youth clubs and groups were affiliated to KYS such as : Ballymore Eustace Youth Club, Young Gay and Lesbian Group (18-25 year olds), Kildare Traveller Action, Scooters Club Rathangan, and Naas Club 4 U. The Kildare Town Youth Project has flown from the nest and had a very productive first year. Work with young Travellers in Maynooth/Leixlip; development of a youth café in the Curragh and expansion of the Youth Counselling Service to include Maynooth and Celbridge were some of the other highlights. There has been an array of training for young people and adults in 2006. Many young people took up opportunities to improve their IT skills in several of our youth centres. 98 Volunteer leaders, young and old, completed training in basic and advanced youth leadership, corporate governance and issue based training last year.
KYS’s Family Support project work and the Tracking and Mentoring for young early school leavers, continued to be well utilised by those that are more vulnerable and in need of a particular type of support.
2006 saw KYS at a new cross road, the implementation of the final year of the Strategic Plan, the reviewing of the previous six years and setting the scene for Strategy Plan 2007-2012. Many young people and Kildare agencies played an important role in this regard.
“Youth Participation has been the focus of our developments and consciousness in 2006” continues Liz- “This is where young people developed and designed the types of youth programmes that they wanted to take part in, with the professional support from youth workers and leaders”. There has been much learning for all those that took part.
New initiatives included:
- Youth Production team at Goffs
- Youth Research -966 Young peoples researched for - Our Views Anyone Listening,
- Youth Leadership Training
- Issue based programmes such as- Development Education and Justice, Drugs and Alcohol awareness, Voting rights and citizenship, Anti- Bullying, Stepping Stones-transferring from primary to secondary school and Equality and racism awareness.
KYS also in 2006 gave opportunities to young people to participate on interview panels for new youth worker posts- to make sure that they have a real input into the type of workers that will work with them in the future. KYS in 2006 supported youth people in being representatives at the Dail na Nog and the Ombudsman’s for Children’s Office, Youth articles in the Newspapers and young people identifying and lobbying for change for their peers in the community.
All in all it has been a very successful 2006, this was made possible with the financial support of the following Kildare agencies and many community groups: Kildare County Council and Town Councils, Co. Kildare VEC, HSE, FÁS, The Kildare Community Partnership, KELT, OAK Partnership, The Defences Forces, An Gárda Síochána, Department of Social and Family Affairs, Regional Drugs Task Force and Kildare Sports Partnership, Naas Lions Club, AIB Better Ireland.
Kildare Youth Services are currently running extensive summer programmes and camps, with volunteers and agencies in the communities, where many younger children are participating and are having great fun.
If you would like to become a volunteer,, set up a youth club in your area or would like more information on KYS just log on to www.KYS.ie or contact Mike at 045-897893
Image taken from KYS Strategic Plan 2002-2006 which you can download from the KYS website