Campaign to increase investment in youth work

Nenagh's Luke chosen as Local Champion

The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI), which represents organisations working with young people nationwide, has launched its Local Champions initiative, a campaign aimed at ensuring increased investment in young people and youth work locally and nationally. Luke O’Gorman from Nenagh and Denise Harding from Clonoulty-Rossmore have been selected as the Local Champions for the Tipperary constituency.

Paul Gordon, NYCI Director of Policy and Advocacy, explained: “As part of the Local Champions initiative, a group of passionate young individuals has been selected as representatives from their communities to engage with their local politicians and champion the cause of youth work.”

The Local Champions received training and support from NYCI to effectively convey the positive impact youth work has on their lives and the lives of young people in the local area, as well as the importance of investing in youth work. NYCI is calling for an increased investment of €9.4 million in youth work in Budget 2024, to support the rising costs associated with delivering quality services locally and ensure equal access to youth work for all young people nationwide.

ENGAGE WITH TDS

Denise and Niall are hoping to engage with representatives including TDs Alan Kelly, Jackie Cahill, Martin Browne, Mattie McGrath and Michael Lowry among others.

Denise Harding said: “I'm really looking forward to meeting our local representatives and sharing with them some of the amazing experiences I've had with the likes of the South-East SpunOut Action Panel and the Community Foundation of Ireland, as a Tipperary representative. There's so much great work happening in Tipperary to support young people.”

Luke O’Gorman added: “I'll be sharing some of the experiences I’ve had with local groups such as Tipperary Comhairle na nÓg. As Denise said, there’s so much important work happening in our local area to support young people and we want to make sure that our local representatives carry that message to the national level, so that youth work in our area and beyond gets its fair share come budget time.”

The Local Champions initiative will include activities such as engaging with policymakers, sharing personal stories, and using social media to raise awareness and mobilise support. Through these efforts, NYCI and the Local Champions aim to create a broader understanding of the significance of youth work and its positive impact on society.

The initiative is part of NYCI's campaign ahead of Budget 2024 on October 10, to ensure that young people and youth work receive the necessary investment and support they deserve. The Local Champions initiative is supported by the Community Foundation Ireland.

Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of Community Foundation Ireland, added: “Empowering generations is central to our mission as a philanthropic hub for Ireland.

“To achieve that goal we’re delighted to be partners with NYCI. The Local Champions network aims to amplify the voices of young people and showcase the transformative power of youth work. It is bringing together an inspirational group of young people, and we look forward to seeing them connecting with their local representatives to share how youth work changes lives.”

FURTHER DETAILS

To learn more about the Local Champions Initiative and NYCI's efforts to advocate for increased investment in youth work, please visit youth.ie.