Offaly YouthBank news

A programme which is fostering confidence and personal growth in the youth of Offaly was celebrated at an event in The County Arms Hotel, Birr, last week.
Youth Bank is a unique way of involving young people in community activity. It does this as an all island of Ireland initiative through a network of devolved grant-making committees run by young people. The funding distributed by these decision-making committees supports projects designed and run by young people, which address issues and concerns of direct importance to them.
The night was hosted by the Transition Year class at Banagher College. The Youthbank project involved the Youthbank team from Banagher College receiving applications, interviewing relevent Youth organisations from the Offaly area and making decisons to award €6,000 of funding.
In The County Arms last week, the Offaly youth groups which received Youth Bank funding this year gave a brief account of their particular projects.
Banagher Foroige's motto is 'Learning by Doing' and their projects this year included Dance Classes and First Aid lessons, which gave them confidence and self-esteem.
Cloghan Foroige Club's project was entitled 'Bridging the Generation Gap' which proved to be a learning curve for both the elderly people involved as well as the teenagers.
Ballycumber Foroige Club was founded in 1994 and has a membership of 35 young people. The club has won three citizenship awards. Their activities this year included visiting Mountjoy and Wheatfield prisons and they travelled to Brussels, Berlin and the UK during the summer. Their fundraising ventures have included Stay Awakes and Midnight Walks.
Their project was to make it easier for visitors to find out where they are going when in the Ballycumber region and they are making signs for the 18 townslands in the area. They hope to erect these signs on the roads early next year.
Banagher Scouts was founded by Jim Windsor McGlynn and George Smith in 1976 and has 85 youth members and ten leaders. Its members are aged from 6 to 18. Scouting is concerned with the physical, emotional and spiritual development of the individual in a fun and safe environment. It is in fact lifelong learning and therefore is neverending.
The Banagher Scouts representative told the gathering in the County Arms that 'All money invested in young people is never wasted.' He said his scouts group will purchase a water boiler, tables and chairs with the Youth Bank funds.
Scurragh Elite Youth is receiving funding of €1,000 from Youth Bank. The young person speaking about the group said a common feeling in the housing estate was that the young people of Scurragh had nothing to do. Their project entails creating a sports event in the estate during the summer.
M.J. Grogan, Crank House, Banagher was praised by a number of people for starting the Youth Bank scheme in Offaly and being very active in its running.
Youth Bank was established in 2001 by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, the Community Foundation for Ireland and the Irish Youth Foundation and to date has granted €300,000 to over 300 projects.
Youth Bank brings a range of benefits to the young people involved, particularly in their skills, confidence, personal growth and development.
The Offaly Comhairle na nOg group also gave an account of their activities during the County Arms celebration event.
Comhairle na nÓg (Youth Council) provides a forum for children and young people from each Local Authority area to discuss local and national issues of relevance to them.
Members of Comhairle na nÓg hold regular meetings to discuss important issues. Members attend meetings/ seminars/ workshops etc. to represent the voice of young people in the country. Members also meet with counsellors and discuss their concerns and opinions.
Comhairle na nÓg has been established since 2002 by City/ County Development boards in each 34 Local Authority areas throughout the country under an initiative from the National Children's Strategy to provide an opportunity for young people, under 18 years of age, to have a say in issues that affect their lives. It is composed of representatives of secondary schools, youth organisations and hard to reach groups.
Comhairle na nOg promotes positive mental health and wellbeing for young people. In this regards part of its advice includes:
'Keeping Active: Regular exercise can really help if you're feeling depressed, stressed or anxious. It can give you more energy too. Find something you enjoy - sport, swimming, walking, dancing or cycling and then just do it.
'Talking about it: Most people feel isolated and overwhelmed by their problems sometimes. It can help to share your feelings.
'Accepting who you are: Our beliefs, background, religion, race, gender and sexuality make us who we are. Everyone is entitled to respect, including you. We all have something to offer.'
Offaly Comhairle na nOg's website is www.ohyp.ie. For more information on Youth Mental Health visit www.headstrong.ie.