DONEGAL YOUTH SERVICE ANNUAL REPORT 2011

2011

2011 Contents Chairperson’s Report Regional Director’s Report The Loft Youth Information Centre Daybreak Programme Youth Outreach Project Breakout Fas Community Employment Project Two Valleys Project Beyond Borders Project Cross Border Connections Project Balance Sheet Contacts Map - List of affiliated Youth Clubs & Youth Projects

www.donegalyouthservice.ie

Foreword Foreword by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Ms. Frances Fitzgerald, T.D. I am delighted once again to have this opportunity to provide the foreword to Donegal Youth Service’s Annual Report 2011 at the end of what has been another successful year for the service.

In 2011, Donegal Youth Service, as a locally based youth service, has been supportive of young people in the county, and in particular those who are most at risk or experiencing disadvantage or marginalisation. I believe that the support and programmes provided by the Service are an essential element in providing an integrated response to the needs of Co. Donegal’s young people.

As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, one of my priorities is to enhance and ensure the quality of youth work opportunities and services for young people. It is essential that such provision is quality assured so that it results in better services, programmes and opportunities for young people through which they can develop and progress. As you will be aware, my Department is currently progressing the implementation of a number of initiatives to ensure that the optimum conditions are in place for young people to engage in quality youth service provision. These initiatives include the ongoing implementation of a National Quality Standards Framework (NQSF) for all staff-led youth work organisations and services and the development of Standards for Local Youth Groups for volunteer-led clubs and groups.

I understand that the NQSF process has been enthusiastically embraced by Donegal Youth Service over the last year; the hard work, commitment and collective effort by all sections of the service demonstrates a clear commitment to the NQSF core principles and standards and to the continuous improvement of services for young people.

The multidisciplinary team approach employed by Donegal Youth Service, which brings together different backgrounds and expertise, is without doubt helping the service to maximise the impact of its work and is ensuring that the service is professional, progressive and focused on providing quality youth provision. Well done to all!

Volunteer-led provision has proven to be the bedrock of the youth work sector in Ireland and indeed has always been a central feature of Donegal Youth Service. I would like to take this opportunity to personally acknowledge the contribution made by your volunteers and to express my thanks to all those who contribute so generously of their time, skills and experience.

My Department is currently developing an overarching Children and Young People’s Policy Framework for 2012 – 2017. The new Policy Framework will provide the basis for more detailed strategies including an Early Years Strategy and a new Youth Policy Framework. Through this work, a clear youth policy framework will emerge that will aim to enhance the development, participation and support of young people. I intend that the policy framework will also facilitate and promote co-ordination and coherence across departments and front line youth services.

To conclude, I would like to thank Donegal Youth Service for their continued commitment and support throughout the year and am pleased that my Department has been able to support this valuable work. I would also like to say a special thanks to Lorraine Thompson, Regional Director, Gareth Gibson, Youth Information Co-ordinator and all the staff for their selfless and important contribution to development of youth services in Co. Donegal.

I look forward to continuing to support the work of organisations engaged in the provision of youth services for young people, including Donegal Youth Service, and to cooperating further in the development of cohesive, crosssectoral policies that will have a positive and lasting impact on the lives of young people in Ireland.

I wish you every success in your work in 2012.

Frances Fitzgerald, T.D. Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

Chairperson’s Report: Paul Kernan This is my second year as Chairperson of Donegal Youth Service and it remains both great fun and a real honour to play some part at county level within the Youth Service. 2011 was marked as the year of celebration of 30 years of the DYS. The year has been, like the weather, a mixture of highs and lows! The highs have been the incredible amounts of energy and commitment at club and project level across the county – the lows have included the continued economic downturn and the impacts this is having on clubs, families and young people.

Youth unemployment is climbing to levels unseen for a generation or more and now the reality of emigration touches almost every family in the County. It is in this context that Donegal Youth Service and the supports, opportunities and services it can deliver are required more than ever.

Like all Government expenditure, the assistance given to the Youth Services and youth work in general continues to shrink and this presents the whole organisation with challenges against a backdrop of rising demand and increasing need. Despite all of this our volunteers and staff proved themselves once again by offering a service to be proud of to young people all across the county. Through the past year the DYS has worked closely with its affiliated Youth Clubs and Youth Projects and has continued to deliver and improve a wide range of initiatives and programmes including Daybreak, the Letterkenny Youth Information Centre (YIC), the LOFT, Planet Youth, BreakOut! and much much more.

Maybe one of the greatest challenges now is to find imaginative ways to reach out to unemployed young people, to find ways to involve them in our work, to help them identify their own needs and maybe start to find some of their own answers to the crisis in jobs and education. We can do this through our Community Employment Scheme, through outreach work and maybe through new and more relevant ways to volunteer and become an activist in Donegal Youth Service and its member clubs.

The DYS has been to the forefront of innovation in youth work practice, with our Cross-community and Cross-border projects reported elsewhere in this report, through our leading role in the development and sustaining of BreakOut! The LGBT youth initiative and in our support for Stand Up week and the successful Lets Talk About Sex week. We will need to work hard to keep abreast of changing youth culture and the challenges life puts in the path of our youth. I am very confident that this innovative and effective effort will be recognised by Youth Work Ireland during our Quality Standards assessment early next year, in which we envisage DYS being presented with an Excellence Award for our work.

As Chairperson, I would like to thank all the staff, volunteers and most of all the young people for their commitment, energy and imagination over the past 12 months and have confidence that we can be just as successful in the coming year through working together.

Paul Kernan Chairperson 2011

www.donegalyouthservice.ie

Regional Director’s Report: Lorraine Thompson Welcome to the Donegal Youth Service 2011 Annual Report, this year we celebrated 30 years of youth work in Donegal and it was interesting to reflect back on how the service has evolved during that time.

Whilst the organisation has seen many changes over years it has always relied on the voluntary contribution of adult leaders who simply wanted to make their communities a better place for young people.

Donegal Youth Service continues to be the largest provider of youth club supports in Donegal and we are committed to providing a strong and robust service to volunteers to help them provide youth clubs in small towns and villages countywide. In 2011 we had 29 affiliated clubs and projects supported by over 500 adult volunteers, engaging over 4500 young people.

The current economic environment has led to new challenges for us an organisation but moreover for young people and their families. This had led to a greater sense of apathy in terms of prospects and education and shows the continued importance of youth services in ensuring that young people have as many opportunities as possible to grow and develop through the provision of exciting and relevant opportunities and services.

On a positive note 2011 saw for the first time ever the creation of a full Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, this presents real opportunities for youth services to play an important role in influencing the development of the new Policy Framework for youth work and the National outcomes for young people in Ireland.

I am pleased to say that 2011 was a very productive year in terms of the great work carried out by staff and volunteers with and for young people.

2011 saw the continued success of Donegal Youth Services provision to young people and the adult volunteers that support them. This success is evidenced through the National Quality Standards Framework which we engaged in as part of a three year process. Also towards to the end of 2011 we began the Youth Work Ireland Quality Standards Framework which will be assessed in early 2012 and we are striving for an ‘Excellence Award’.

The Breakout Project for LGBT young people is in its second year and has brought untold benefits to the young people who avail of it and in 2011 we developed a second group in Inishowen in response to an identified need from young people.

This year’s Party in Park was the largest ever with over 800 young people in attendance.

We are a continually evolving service in that we are constantly evaluating and reviewing our work to ensure that we can provide the best possible service with the resources that we have. As always we continue to work to lever resources into local youth service delivery.

We are continually working in line with the Donegal Youth Service strategic plan 2010-2015 to ensure that our work is in line with the needs identified.

Regional Director’s Report:

Working in partnership is the most effective way to provide services to young people and their communities and Donegal Youth Service prides itself on the strong working partnerships we have built over the years. These partnerships enable us to work towards meeting identified needs including providing the Daybreak Outreach in Stranorlar through our partnership with Stranorlar Schools Completion Project as well as being an active member of the County Community Forum, Regional Drugs Task Force, DLDC sub panel, Castlefinn LAT, Inishowen Family Action Network to name but a few.

Donegal Youth Service has well established, jointly beneficial Cross Border partnerships with relevant voluntary and statutory organisations, which we continue to invest in. The YESIP funded Two Valleys Project which we launched in 2010 has continued to forge great links between the Finn Valley and Derg Valley and we successfully acquired funding for the second phase of Cross Border Connections which will continue until June 2013. We were delighted to commence a new IFI funded project aptly titled Beyond Borders which will run for two years and add immense value to anti-sectarian work in Donegal and Tyrone.

DYS has always prided itself on its innovation and commitment to finding new ways to engage young people and this year was no different. In conjunction with the Donegal Sexual Health Forum, we organised the first Sexual Health Awareness week, entitled Let’s Talk about Sex week in conjunction with the forum. It was an amazing week aiming to get Sexual Health Awareness on the agenda of anyone engaging with young people.

As part of our 2010-2015 strategic plan and the organisations commitment to strengthening the affiliated groups we are working towards ensuring that as many clubs as possible benefit from having a CE (Community Employment) worker. The FAS CE scheme enables Donegal Youth Service to provide a invaluable service to rural clubs and projects.

Our work on a National level continues through Youth Work Ireland our parent body, working with the other 21member youth services to ensure best practice in youth provision.

I would like to take this opportunity to recognise the hard work, dedication and enthusiasm of the staff, including the CE workers and volunteers, and also the board of Directors. The service is reflective of your passion and willingness to make the young people you work with get the best experience they can.

For all the young people who take part in our programmes I want to thank you for your contribution which helps us to shape your service, I hope that your experience through your club or project has given you new learning experiences, that it has helped to make you feel more supported and has given you some positive role models who have encouraged you in your endeavours.

L Thompson 2011

www.donegalyouthservice.ie

The Loft

Introduction The Letterkenny Youth Project and Health Café is managed by Donegal Youth Service and Foróige and funded by the Health Service Executive North West Area. The project is a community-based resource that provides a range of activities and developmental programmes for young people; in particular those at risk of experiencing adversity in their lives. The aim of the Project is to provide a safe environment where young people actively involve themselves in their own personal development within the context of the wider community. Programmes include drop-in, group based programmes and accredited training, health events and workshops, individual issue based programmes, family support, special interest groups and entertainment activities. Young people may be introduced to the LOFT through referral from HSE, statutory and community agencies, including the Social Work department, Child & Family Mental Health Services, Psychology Service, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), School Completion Programmes, family GP or through parent referrals. They may also choose to become involved themselves engaging in drop-in, group work and individual services.

Group Work Personal Development is the overarching ethos of all group work programmes offered by the LOFT. Not including the summer term, twenty three group work programmes were hosted by the LOFT in 2011. These programmes ranged from relationships and sexuality to art and photography groups. Many of the programmes are developed to meet a specific need such as the Strengthening Families Programme.

Programmes such as the Junior Cert Study group and the Mind Yourself Group were developed in response to needs expressed by young people and their parents. A strong health focus is reflected in each of the Cook It, Health Initiative for Youth – HIFY, Girls Active and Young Women’s Group. The programmes support the development of life skills with initiatives such as our First Year Group, NFTE (Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship), and the Albert Schweitzer Leadership for Life programme. Special interest groups are offered to allow young people to gain confidence in new skills and make friends in a fun environment; such groups include the art and photography group who prepared and hosted an exhibition in the Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny in June 2011, our Song writing Group (part of the Artist in Residency scheme funded by the National Youth Council of Ireland) and our Music Group (IYMA – Irish Youth Music Awards).

The Loft

Individual Support Programmes The LOFT provided a diverse range of programmes in 2011, responding to the needs of young people, in particular referred young people. The LOFT offers individual support, both formally and informally, to young people who present with needs that may not be addressed through group programmes or activities within the youth cafe. Individual work programmes are unique to each young person, with the content and duration of support driven by the participant.

For some, this may be through playing games and partaking in organised activities with the full attention and support of a worker, for others it may be a programme of exercises designed to explore challenging issues or a quiet place to talk and address issues the young person is experiencing.

In 2011 requests for support came from youth service providers, residential care homes, child & family mental health services, child psychology, autism support and social work.

Experiences of bullying continues to be a difficult issue for many participants with listening ear provided both for those who identify themselves as victims of bullying and those accused of bullying with interventions including mediation, listening ear and anger management.

Development of social skills, facilitated through individual support programmes, small group work and drop-in are the most frequent requests from referral agencies, particularly in relation to young people with Aspergers Syndrome and autism. One to one support included working with young people who were referred to the project and wanted to get involved in group work and summer programmes. Seven of the referrals who had one to one sessions went on to participate in summer programmes and group work. Issues for this group included confidence building and self esteem. One young person was having serious difficulty with meeting peers and low confidence and self esteem. Their team work skills and communication skills improved through participating in group work and summer programmes. ‘Girls’Nights In’at the Loft encourages referred young people to participate with peers and builds confidence. A lot of these young people had limited opportunities for normal social exploration experiences due to family circumstances, they benefited from opportunities to meet other young people and to engage in group activities like summer programmes that enhanced their sense of self.

Drop-in & Social Events The provision of a safe and comfortable drop-in space is core to the objectives of the LOFT. The drop-in area provides a safe positive space through which the young people may engage in activities and meet new friends, socialise, and develop social skills in an alcohol and drug free environment with appropriate boundaries. Young people use the drop-in service on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, 6pm-8pm, Friday evenings 5pm-10pm and Saturdays 2pm-8pm. At the start of 2011 the LOFT offered 13 hours of evening and weekend drop-in. During summer the Saturday opening hours were extended to 12pm-8pm. At the end of the summer period, consultation with young people and review of attendance figures indicated that 2pm-8pm were the most popular hours for Saturdays and the hours were changed to this for the remainder of the year. There is an average of 44 young people attending each drop-in slot.

Through the drop-in service, vulnerable young people are supported to develop social and communication skills. Young people using the drop-in service have the opportunity to develop links with project workers and staff are able to identify young people who may be in need of additional support. Such support can be due to emotional issues, relationships with boyfriends/ girlfriends, family issues, health issues, school and so on. The space also provides for the engagement of young people in activities which are positive and provide opportunities for personal development.

www.donegalyouthservice.ie

The Loft

Links with Schools The LOFT continues to build strong links with schools in the Letterkenny area. Project staff maintain links with form tutors or year heads of young people struggling to stay on in school. A number of group based programmes are also offered to schools. Errigal College availed of two such programmes in 2011; a Multimedia Programme in partnership with the Regional Cultural Centre to enable transition year students to create a video diary presentation of their activities throughout the year. Tutorials on effective studying were delivered to Leaving Certificate candidates, with each group receiving two sessions.

The NFTE programme was also delivered at Errigal College and will continue through the academic year 2011/12. Within the project at the LOFT, grinds in Mathematics were once again offered for Leaving Certificate. LCA students from Loreto Convent attended for an information session as part of their studies. The LOFT also engaged with the class members through drop-in and a group work programme was developed for the class.

Transition Programme The primary-secondary schools transition was delivered in six schools in 2011; Lurgybrack National School took part with their two 6th classes and a total of 55 students, Woodlands Nation School (86 students), Ballyraine National School (28 students), Illistrin National School (32 students), Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal (65 students) and Scoil Colmcille(63 students).

The overall objective for this programme was to make the transition from national school to secondary school easier and to give the students more confidence in a new school setting. The programme also seeks to support their teamwork and communication skills so often needed in their new school.

Transition Week The Transition week gave further support to young people who are making the transition form primary to secondary school. giving them the opportunity to be able form friendships with new classmates and gain confidence around the transition to secondary school.

Young people participating in the programme got to know those who would be in their class in September and new friendships were formed.

Youth Participation The Youth Advisory committee continues to meet monthly, with more frequent meetings as requested by the group (e.g. when planning events or working on a specific project).

The committee reviewed the action plan of the LOFT and recommended changes as they felt appropriate. They completed an evaluation of the project’s website and gave feedback and a suggested format which would be more youth friendly, supporting multimedia and interaction.

They also developed a new leaflet for the project to provide accurate information on what the LOFT is about and how young people can become involved. The members also gained the skills to actively participate in the decision making process, the confidence to ensure their views and the views of their peers are represented and a good understanding of meeting and committee structures.

www.donegalyouthservice.ie

The Loft

Health Promotion The LOFT seeks to provide a health advice and information aspect within the service, which is attractive and useful to young people. Health based topics are the fundamental blocks of the group work programmes. A number of health promotion initiatives are also held to address pertinent issues and raise awareness on topics relevant to youth health. A total of 21 health events were held during 2011.

In February the LOFT hosted the “Choices” Youth Health Conference with over one hundred transition year students attending from St. Eunan’s College, Mulroy College, Royal and Prior Secondary School, Colaiste Ailigh and Youthreach Letterkenny. The conference focused on developing decision making skills for positive health with workshops in drug & alcohol awareness, staying safe in relationships, promoting positive mental health, understanding & accepting diversity, and internet safety. There was also a ‘market place’ where a variety of service providers were on hand with information and workers to answer queries.

Students and Volunteers The LOFT provides work experience to a number of second and third level students. Third level placements were facilitated for Social Studies students from Letterkenny Institute of Technology and La Rachelle College, France. Work experience placements were provided to six second level students (Transition Year and LCVP Programme), two of which were referred to the project for extra support and benefitted greatly from a supported work experience placement.

Two groups of adult volunteers completed Child Protection Training and Youth Leadership Training (OCN Accredited) with 27 volunteers gaining the youth leadership certificate. The team of volunteers provides support in drop-in supervision, delivery of activity programmes for young people and co-facilitation of group work programmes alongside LOFT Youth Workers. The LOFT participated in recruitment events with the Letterkenny Institute of Technology and the Donegal Volunteer Centre.

www.donegalyouthservice.ie

Introduction

e r t en C n

th u Yo

r o f In

tio a m

Seminars

We also held a series of Summer Student Grant seminars in Letterkenny and Buncrana, as well as organising a number of summer seminars to coincide with the results of Leaving Cert examinations. Our Leaving Cert Results helpline was also provided around results time where staff were on hand to help students calculate points, explain the appeal process or offer support choosing their next steps.

The Youth Information Centre also provided presentations on the services the Youth Information Centre offer to participants of Youthreach in Letterkenny, students at Errigal College and Colaiste Ailigh.

5000 VISITS TO CENTRE The Youth Information Centre continued to provide a drop-in service for the young people of the town and surrounding areas, where young people come and access the many facilities the centre offers.

Drop

Letterkenny Youth Information Centre held a series of Information Seminars for parents and young people throughout the year. We provided study tips presentations for Junior Cert and Leaving Certificate students in Errigal College in Letterkenny and Mulroy College in Letterkenny in January, while also providing a Cyberbullying and Internet Awareness seminar for the entire Colaiste Ailigh student body.

2011 proved to be yet another successful year for Youth Information in Letterkenny. In spite of fiscal constraints being placed on the sector, we have successfully continued to provide a holistic, multi-faceted information service for young people aged between 12 and 25. The young people have benefited from a service which has been shaped by their input, which has been delivered using dynamic methods of delivery, in a centrebased, outreach and innovated manner. We look to the future with confidence in our brand and enthusiasm towards working in partnerships to continue to service the needs of our young people.

In

These include Sky television, pool table and X Box. The Youth Information Centre also provided extended daily drop-in hours during the Easter, Summer and other school holiday periods.

Teen Between

Teen Between is one of the specialist services offered by Donegal Youth Service. It is a free and confidential listening ear service that is available for young people experiencing family breakdown or separation. In 2011 over 30 young people from across Donegal benefited from one to one sessions facilitated by suitably trained personnel.

6000 OUTREACH PARTICIPANTS

Student Council Training

In 2011 the Youth Information Centre continued to provide the Student Council Training Programme. This training is designed to increase the effectiveness of the Student Councils and to help young people understand their roles better. The Student Council is very important within the school and for young people it is an opportunity for them to take part in integral decision making within the school. Our training allows them to enhance this experience and develop the skills to run a very effective Student Council.

Irish Youth Music Awards

The Irish Youth Music Awards, a Youth Work Ireland initiative, are run locally by the Letterkenny Youth Information Centre and offers Irelands upcoming acts the opportunity to play in a top Dublin venue, get personal advice from some of the most influential figures in the Irish Music Industry and appear on a professionally recorded compilation. This year saw Jamaican Vampires going on to represent the county at the national finals, which saw the Donegal IYMA team go on to collect the Paul Clancy Songwriters Award.

Huge credit goes to all the young people who helped out the IYMA team along the way. We also had three heats in Arena 7.

The IYMA’s are unique in that they encourage local bands to get together and support each other.

Peer Mentoring

The YIC has continued our OCN accredited course of Peer Mentoring helping facilitate schools in their development of peer mentor programmes. We work on the development of communication skills, conflict resolution and getting beyond stereotypes all with the vision of them as a peer mentor and what that means.

Training, both accredited and shorter non-accredited training occurred in Errigal College, Rosses Community School, Dungloe, Moville Community School and St Eunan’s College.

Youth Media Group The Youth Information Centre youth media group had another successful year. As well as completing short films on road safety and Lets Talk About Sex, they also went on to produce several articles for the YIC ECHO newsletter, creating a Youth Media Group special edition. They continue to produce articles for our ECHO newsletter, which is published every quarter.

52 MEDIA PIECES IN LOCAL PRESS European Volunteer Service Letterkenny Youth Information Centre have been associated with the European Voluntary Service (EVS) since 2007. During that time we have successfully completed 4 projects with 7 volunteers from across Europe. EVS is administrated by Leargas and funds volunteers to spend up to 12 months working as a volunteer in another part of Europe for non-profit making organisations. This year both our volunteers, Elisa and Sarah came from Italy. We are in the planning process for EVS 5, due to start in early 2012. We are accredited to act as both a host and sending organisation.

Party in the Park

In 2011 the Party in the Park was a special occasion, as it doubled up as a DYS 30th anniversary celebration and once again proved a great day for the young people and families of Letterkenny and Donegal. We had upwards of 800 people attending on the day. This year the event was held on August 6th, with 16 bands and performers taking to the stage, along with swordsmen demonstrations, face painting, tug of war and other games and activities for all the family. A special thanks to all the volunteers who gave their time on the day making a huge success.

12 MONTHLY RADIO UPDATES www.donegalyouthservice.ie

Eurodesk

Eurodesk is a free information service providing young people and those working with them with information on EU funding and opportunities to work, study, volunteer and travel in Europe. This year young people from Letterkenny YIC also claimed victory in the Eurodesk National Photography competition in 2 sections during the European Youth Week.

Road Safety

Road Safety continues to be an area of special interest in the information centre. We are happy to be represented on the Donegal Road Safety Working Group and are eager to continue this working relationship through a variety of initiatives and events in attempts to make our roads a safer place to be. In 2011, we have been involved in the very successful road show with thousands of young people receiving first hand feedback of the carnage of road traffic accidents. Also in 2011 we coordinated our third successful leg of the European Night without accident, ‘Designated Driver’ event in association with Sister Sara’s and Voodoo INK.

Youth Action Group

The Youth Action Group saw loads of action this year. Their focus on event planning saw them organise the very successful HUWY Net Night, an internet safety awareness evening of music and information in the LYIT. From the concept and promotion to the event organisation, the Youth Action Group were there taking charge. The Party in the Park this year was a massive celebration of 30 years of the DYS and once again the Youth Action Group stood up to the task and had a fantastic day for young people organised in Letterkenny Town Park. Sixteen young bands played throughout the whole day filling the park with music and atmosphere. Members of the Youth Action Group masterminded the very successful fashion show at the Party in the Park where young people were asked to model their own styles and fashion on the stairway of the park for prizes. Other activities organised included Ultimate Frisbee, treasure hunts, face painting, as well as stalls set up by local businesses and organisations.

5000 QUERIES

Social Networking Group

With the success of the HUWY project, the idea of a Social Network Safety group rose up in the YIC. In a world of increasing use of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, and a growth in issues such as cyber bullying, privacy issues and child protection, a group focussed specifically on safe use of these sites was formed. We explored many aspects of safety in social networks such as terms and conditions and “friending” people we don’t know. The group produced a poster using the format of internet memes to give their top tips for using Facebook.

matic.com.

ECHO

Letterkenny Youth Information Centre have been producing a quarterly newsletter entitled: “ECHO”, since 2007 with 13 editions published since then. In association with staff, volunteers and young people a full colour 8 page newsletter is made available each quarter in both print and pdf formats. The publication contains a wide variety of topical information of interest to young people and those who work with them.

Radio Updates

Letterkenny Youth Information Centre continues to broadcast a monthly Youth Information Radio Update on Highland Radio on a monthly basis. The bulletin, which is produced in the Youth Information Centre, is broadcast on the Power Hour monthly and provides news and information for young people in both urban and rural areas throughout the county.

HUWY

The HUWY project was a project that produced Hub Websites for Youth Participation.

On behalf of Youth Work Ireland via Donegal Youth Service, in association with the consortium partners from the UK, Estonia and Germany. HUWY worked with young people and youth groups in the development stage of the project, in order to ensure that topics, background materials and the Hub websites were attractive and useful to young people.

JugendPresse Deutschland and Northern Ireland Youth Forum were also working with the HUWY project. The HUWY project aimed to get young people talking about policies and laws which affect the Internet and channel their ideas to governments and parliaments, national and EU. HUWY piloted a distributed discussion model to achieve this, with young people exploring and discussing the themes in their own online

4000 COPIES spaces.

The project drew to a conclusion in April 2011 with the “Net Night” final event in the LYIT to disseminate the results of the project and celebrate the work of the young people.

www.donegalyouthservice.ie

Welcome to Our World

Welcome to Our World was an international partnership project between four organisations.; Letterkenny Community Development Project and the Letterkenny Youth Information Centre from Ireland and Argan and Combeat From Holland;.

The partnership started at a contact making seminar for the Youth in Action Programme in Dublin.

The objectives of the partnership were to raise awareness of the effects that uncertain citizenships status has on young people from minority communities in Ireland and Holland.

We were also concerned with understanding the impact on young people when they don’t feel accepted as European. We wanted to gain an understanding of the uncertain citizenship status and to lobby for change via democratic structures in both countries.

The Project lasted one year. With the highlights being a five day preparation visit in Ireland and a five day study visit in Holland. A core group of twenty young participants from Ireland and Holland learned from each others stories. The participants met politicians and other professionals in Ireland and Holland so that they could tell their stories and lobby for change. The project also got media attention on local television and radio stations, the newspapers and on internet.

Through live talk shows the participants contacted each other and debated with politicians about uncertain European citizenship and the issues surrounding being accepted as European when you have dual nationality.

International Exchange: Italy 2011 A group of young people from the Letterkenny Young Information Centre took part in a 7 day International exchange to Allessandria, Italy in late June following on from previous exchanges in 2005, 2007 and 2009. Our hosts were the Youth Information Centre based in Allessandria. This year’s exchange was entitled “Virtual or Real” and was designed to tackle the issue of social networking sites and their increasing use by young people. The young people questioned the nature of their friendships online and produced a DVD together. The DVD was designed to be a call for more genuine forms of friendship cultivated in the real world. The young people on the exchange also created their own sound track for the DVD and designed a display for the Youth Information Centre in Allessandria. The group also paid a visit to the Appenine mountains where they visited an ecological reserve and paid respects at a World War 2 site. Other participating countries on the exchange were Poland, Germany and Greece.

www.donegalyouthservice.ie

Daybreak Programme Daybreak, the only project of its kind in Donegal, was set up in direct response to the needs of 12-15 year old early school leavers, poor attendees and those experiencing difficulty in their current school setting across the county. We aim to support referred young people to remain in or return to full time education.

Focusing on strengths, we enable participants to identify and achieve their personal and academic goals, both long and short term, and reach their full potential.

In 2011 a total of 52 referred young people were assisted in the identification of personal and educational strengths and the obstacles inhibiting their full participation or ability to thrive within the current educational system. We increased capacity by working with up to six referred young people per day; numbers were dependant on level of need. During the year 44 participants attended one full day per week, being accommodated according to individual need and presenting issues and availability of places. 11 participants progressed from Daybreak and returned to full time education in Autumn 2011.

Outreach Service After a highly successful Pilot, we have continued to provide an Outreach Service in conjunction with the Stranorlar School Completion Programme. It ran every Friday during term time, accommodating up to 6 young people per day and is based in Planet Youth Drop in, Ballybofey. All 9 outreach participants have remained in school full time.

Junior Cert 11 participants who attended between 2010 and 2011 and 3 Outreach participants sat the Junior Certificate in June 2011. 4 participants took part in study and revision sessions for the duration of this year’s Junior Cert. One past participant was supported in completing his Leaving Certificate through one-to-one after school sessions.

After School Programme In response to the ever changing need of our participants, our afternoon homework group evolved into an After School Programme operating Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4- 6pm. The programme which also has a referral process provides support in the form of early intervention and provides transitional support to Daybreak participants returning to school full time as required. We have also supported a young person not engaged in any form of education and who now attends Youthreach fulltime.

Healthy Bodies/Healthy Minds As part of our healthy living campaign, we have sourced and developed an allotment from Letterkenny UDC where participants have had the opportunity to plant and grow a selection of fruits and vegetables, which they have prepared and cooked in our daily lunches. Young people experienced growing their own food and all steps involved in the journey from seed to table. We also ran targeted issue based and personal developmental workshops, dependent on needs of young people as identified by on-going assessment and consultation. Also feeding into this was our Summer Programme of activities aimed at increasing self-confidence and self-esteem, and team working. We provided one to one educational and social supports to very at risk young people addressing anger, lack of communication skills, involvement in risky behaviours. We provided a listening ear service and used various methodologies to address these issues including a lot of art based work and role play.

External Supports A Daybreak staff member has trained as a ‘Strengthening Families Programme’ facilitator and referrer. In 2011 staff facilitated two rounds of the programme one evening per week and we have referred families to the programme with very positive outcomes.

On-going staff/volunteer training Training opportunities were identified and sourced for staff and volunteers. These included: Child Protection Training, Advanced Child Protection Training, ASSIST, Dealing with Challenging Behaviour, Volunteer management skills, Restorative Practice. Two members of staff are undertaking part time Community Youth Work Degree. All staff and volunteers attended a training day in Galway promoting positive youth mental health and coping strategies for young people. As ever the Daybreak door remains open to past participants; and we were given the opportunity to meet and catch up with many past participants and their families as part of DYS 30th Anniversary Celebrations. It was a real pleasure to hear of all your successes! Well done!

We also participated in the National Quality Standard Framework.

Daybreak is funded by the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs under the Special Projects for Youth (SPY) fund. As this funding does not fully fund Daybreak, additional funds are sourced on an on-going basis.

De-mystifying the programme!

We created an updated Daybreak Presentation promoting and explaining the exact nature of the programme and the varied needs of young people we can cater for. We delivered presentations to CAHMS, Psychology Service, School, Social Work and Probation Service with more scheduled for 2012. Presentations delivered to date have successfully challenged stereotypes of the programme, have forged stronger links and resulted in a more joined up approach to working.

Youth Outreach Project In 2011 we had 29 youth clubs and projects affiliated to Donegal Youth Service. 18 youth units were fully affiliated which means they availed of our comprehensive insurance package in addition to all of our services and provisions while the other 11 were associate members of the organisation availing of our services and provision but sourcing their own insurance.

We had 3000 young people on our books and approximately 500 adult volunteers worked with these young people across our youth clubs. These clubs and projects are an integral part of the work that we as an organisation do. The Board of Directors of Donegal Youth Service come from a range of clubs and projects and oversee the running of the overall organisation while the Volunteer Forum continue to develop and shape the Youth Outreach Project. The Volunteer Forum met to evaluate the 2010 Youth Outreach Projects overall plan as well as to shape, discuss, and plan for the incoming 2011/12 youth club year. The Youth Outreach Project receives its funding from the Department of Children & Youth Affairs, under Special Projects for Youth (SPY).

New Youth Clubs During 2011, 3 new youth clubs joined Donegal Youth Service; Letterkenny Youth & Community Club, Glendowen YC Churchill and Maghery Fun Club. We would like to welcome all the young people and adult volunteers to the service and look forward to working with them and for them to meet with our existing members during the year.

DYS Staff Child Protection Training

247 PARTICIPANTS IN CHILD PROTECTION AWARENESS TRAINING

Accredited Training Courses during 2011 Adults: National Open College Network - Youth Leadership Training Level II- 33 participants from the South & West Cluster areas – Planet Youth, Castlefinn YC, Doneyloop YC, The YARD Falcarragh, Chriost Ri Gortahork and Waves of Change Dunfanaghey.

Child Protection Awareness (Child Protection Unit of Ireland) – 247 participants from An Croi Burtonport, Castlefinn YC, Cockhill YC, Chriost Ri Gortahork, Doneyloop YC, Fanad YC, Inver CDA, Lifford YP, Letterkenny Y&CC, LOFT LK, Newtowncunningham YC, Planet Youth Ballybofey, The Forge Pettigo, The YARD Falcarragh & The Waves of Change Dunfanaghey.

Committee Roles, Policy Development & Youth Club Development – work took place in Castlefinn YC, Doneyloop YC, Malin Head YC and Planet Youth., Ballybofey.

Young people We would like to thank those who participated in the programmes and to the youth leaders who assisted with delivery and supervision during the programmes. We would also like to remind all youth clubs and projects that we are available to provide training.

A h t 0 3

b e l e C

DYS Youth Club of the Year Award winners - Doneyloop

y r a s r e v i Ann s n o i brat

DYS St aff

Team 2

011

Ciaran M ag a special uire received DY Achievem S Lifetime ent Awa rd

Planet Youth’s Eugene Drumm receives DYS Volunteer of the Year

www.donegalyouthservice.ie

University of Ulster Strong links continue to be maintained with the University of Ulster at Magee & University of Ulster at Jordanstown. The Youth Outreach Worker further assisted UU Magee to advertise, recruit, interview and select students for the ‘Pre Vocational Certificate in Community Youth Work’ course. 6 students from across Donegal Youth Service youth units commenced the ‘Single Certificate in Community Youth Work’ at Magee University, Derry in September 2011. To date 52 volunteers from Donegal Youth Service have completed their studies in this course. As well as supporting students with the application process, the Senior Youth Worker also offers additional support in the form of mentoring and supporting the academic study and placement of the volunteers on the course in agreement with University standards.

Steering groups and Committee representations The Youth Outreach project staff sat on various committees and steering groups across the county to ensure the voice of young people is heard and they are represented locally and nationally, including Inishowen Family Action Network (IFAN), Finn Valley Community Health Forum (FVCHC), Raphoe Community Mobilisation Group, Castlefinn/Doneyloop Community Mobilisation Group, Donegal Town Community Mobilisation Group, Inishowen Youth Development Steering Group, Buncrana Community Combating Suicide (BCCS), BreakOut Steering Group, Peace & Reconciliation Group (PRG), Donegal Youth Council Expert Advisory Group, Donegal Sexual Health Forum, Castlefinn Local Area team (CLA) which is a subsidiary of the County Development Board, Donegal Community Based Youth Work Consortium (DCBYWC), Planet Youth, & as part of the CDB Peace & Reconciliation Partnership (PEACE III).

Malin Head Under 18 Basketball team

3000 YOUNG PEOPLE Newsletter – ‘What’s the Craic?’

The Youth Outreach Project produces a newsletter which is distributed to Youth Clubs and other interested organisations. Youth Clubs have the opportunity to submit information and photos to the Youth Outreach Worker for inclusion in the newsletter. In 2011 we had submissions from The YARD Falcarragh, Castlefinn Youth Club, and Doneyloop. We welcome submissions from all of our membership.

Malin Head Under 18 Quiz team

www.donegalyouthservice.ie

All Ireland Variety Show 2011 Young people from all over the county took part in the Games & Variety Show Competition during the youth club year 2010/2011. The successful county competition winners went on to represent Donegal Youth Service at the area finals, hosted by Youth Work Ireland Louth. Those through to the AllIreland finals included Malin Head YC, Castlefinn YC, Doneyloop YC, Fanad YC, Planet Youth Ballybofey, Cockhill YC & the YARD YP Falcarragh. The Variety Show finals were held on Saturday 4th March in Mary I, Limerick. Competing on the day were the YARD YP in group instrumental and Cockhill YC in Creative Dance. Cockhill dancers lifted the All-Ireland title in Creative Dance but the YARD boys who were fantastic and have been playing at various venues on behalf of YWI came in second. We could not believe that they didn’t win!

300 VOLUNTEERS

All Ireland Games Competition 2011 The All Ireland Games Competition was held on 1st July in UU Limerick and on the day although Donegal had no 1st prize winners we did have runners up in various events. Criost Ri were runners up in U18 boys Soccer and U15 Basketball, Planet Youth took 2nd in table tennis in both male and female U18 categories, Fanad YC were runners up in Draughts at U15 and U15 girls Soccer, Malin Head U18 took 2nd place in U18 Basketball , Congratulations to all concerned. You have done us proud once again!

“Say Your Peace” conference participants

‘SAY YOUR PEACE’ Conference A highly successful cross border, cross community one day conference for young people took place on Saturday 5th March in the Silver Tassie Hotel, Letterkenny. The young people came from Donegal & Tyrone and experienced a café culture style experience, where they had the opportunity to explore issues around, sectarianism, racism, prejudice, gender issues, disability awareness, minority issues and ethnicity. Round table discussions were hosted by a range of experienced facilitators. This initiative was jointly planned by the HSE, the VEC and DYS through the Donegal Community Based Youth Work Consortium, and received the funding through DCC Peace III, phase I.

Young Person of the Year We are very aware of the good work young people do in our local youth clubs; from helping out as young leaders to organising activities or indeed simply growing in personal ways through participating in organised events and programmes. To celebrate this achievement by young people it was agreed to organise this award. The recipient of the award in 2011 was Alannah Mc Crory of Doneyloop YC with Lee Marsh of Castlefinn YC and Amanda Boyle from Planet Youth in Ballybofey close runners up.

Youth Club of the Year 2011 Now in its 5th year, this award is made to the club that participated most in Donegal Youth Service activities, events and competitions.

This year’s winners were Doneyloop YC, runners up Castlefinn YC & Malin Head YC. *See 30th anniversary celebrations for photo

Club Visits/Information During the club year we visited youth units right across the county, some informally, some by invitation but all visits were carried out to ensure the link between the youth outreach project and the local youth unit was maintained, disseminating information, providing assistance, planning, training, youth club development and generally responding to queries regarding the running of the club/project. Club visits took place in An Croi Burtonport, Castlefinn YC, Cockhill YC, Creeslough YC, Chriost Ri Gortahork, Doneyloop YC, Fanad YC, Glengad YC, Lifford YP, Letterkenny Y&CC, Malin Head YC, Milford YP, Moville FRC, Newtowncunningham YC, Planet Youth Ballybofey, The Forge Pettigo, The YARD Falcarragh & The Waves of Change Dunfanaghey.

Youth Club Volunteer of the Year Local youth clubs and projects were invited to nominate people who have helped and assisted in the work of the youth club by writing a short submission in support of the individual.

The recipient this year was Eugene Drumm, Planet Youth with Sinead Mc Connell of Castlefinn YC runner up.

Congratulations to everyone involved. *See 30th anniversary celebrations for photo

Teenage Kickz Glengad YC and Castlefinn YC participated in this cross border, cross community venture, funded by the North West Peace III partnership (NI).

The project used soccer as a medium to engage young people from both sides of the border to address sectarianism and racism.

Breakout BreakOut is a drop in service for 16-23year olds in Donegal who identify as being Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender(LGBT). BreakOut was formed when multi agencies came together and identified a need for a LGBT group for young people. So with the help of BeLonGTo Youth Service Dublin BreakOut was formed in 2009. BreakOut provides a safe, fun and non-judgemental environment where the young people can come and be themselves.

2011 was a very busy year for the group, now in its second year up and running it has grown from strength to strength there are currently 30 members attending both groups in Letterkenny and Buncrana. Young people involved in the service have worked on various workshops in 2011 including Sexual Health, Mental Health, Youth Leadership Training, Personal Development and Positive Relationships.

In conjunction with ‘Lets Talk About Sex Week’ BreakOut organised an information evening for parents. It was a very successful evening, the young people cooked food for their parents and showcased the different pieces of work that they had participated in through out the year. The young people also climbed Mount Errigal in July to raise money to go towards BreakOut hoodies.

The young people attended North West Pride residential weekend in August, were they met other LGBT young people from other groups around the country.

We held four “Come Dine With Me” weeks were all the young people involved prepared and cooked all their meals to be sampled and voted by each other, the young people thoroughly enjoyed these weeks and it was a great opportunity for new participants to get to know the other young people of the group.

BreakOut staff have been doing a lot of outreach work with Schools and Youth Groups around the county, which not only has been beneficial in raising LGBT Awareness out to the wider community but also makes young LGBT people aware of BreakOut and other services that are available in around the country.

Community Employment Project

The DYS Ltd currently sponsors a Community Employment Project, which is funded by FAS. The present project currently employs 17 participants and 1 supervisor and provides valuable support to the DYS Ltd directly through office based participants and indirectly to those based in affiliated Youth Projects around the county. Two of the participants work as a caretaker and as a Playgroup Assistant for independent community projects in Manorcunnigham.

The main purpose of CE Projects are to improve participants skills to become employed through training, work experience combined with personal support to achieve their personal goals or employment. The CE participants provide valuable support to the staff and volunteers around the county enhancing the services that the DYS can supply to young people.

The scheme provides Youth Support Workers to youth clubs/projects throughout the county in Raphoe, Falcarragh, Ballybofey, Milford, Castlefin, Doneyloop, Clonmany, Buncrana and Kilmacrennan. The activities they are involved in include homework clubs, sports activities, art and crafts, drop-in centres, information centres, music clubs, drama, trips, cross border projects and residentials. Through training the participants learn new skills which can be transferred to their ‘host’ youth project/ club and give much needed support to volunteers especially in the rural areas and act as role models to young people.

We also have 3 Youth Support Workers working in the DYS Daybreak Programme for Early School Leavers in Letterkenny and Ballybofey who assist in the same way as above, but are more focused on providing educational support through a structured programme to the young people.

Participants also work in DYS administration providing support to many other youth clubs in various fields of work and involved with organising and assisting in Summer Programmes, Cluster Games, Variety Finals and County Games. C.E. An Assistant Youth Information Officer provides a range of support to young people and members of the public in areas such as employment, accommodation, education, training and assist on training programmes for young people such as personal development.

All participants undertake specific training related to working with young people, including, Child Protection, Youth Leadership courses, facilitation skills, FETAC courses in Youth Work and Community Development, Certificate in Youth Work, Degrees in Youth Work and also Community Development. Participants also train in other areas to improve their progression into employment such as computer training, ECDL, Accounts, Childcare courses and Care Assistant courses

Through the C.E Project the DYS Ltd was able to provide the above projects with sport, art or educational equipment and office materials through FAS funding. This benefits the DYS Ltd and the opportunities we are able to provide to participants and young people as a result.

Breast Cancer Awareness Day (organised by CE participant Claire Bradley)

Planet Youth Young Women’s Group held a fundraiser for breast Cancer Awareness on Saturday the 19th of November 2011 .The event was titled Pink Day which was held in Planet Youth. At this event the young women organised to give the centre a makeover and decorate it all in pink, they sold baked goods that their parents, themselves, friends and the local bakeries provided. They got the local businesses to sponsor prizes for a raffle that they held on the day, and at the event they face painted, sold crafts, tea and coffee and nail painted. The fundraiser was a great success and very well organised by the young women. They raised nearly ₏700 on the day.

www.donegalyouthservice.ie

CE Participant Story Maura Friel Kilmacrennan/Ballybofey/Milford Milford Community Youth Project (MCYP) and Milford District Over 65’s, came together to create history. The idea was to bring both groups together to try give each other an understanding of what each other’s lives are like and build better relationships in the community.

Many activities were planned including carol singing, Yule log making and a games day.

The young people showed the over 65’s the games that they play including the Wii and Xbox, the older group then tried out all the games and in return, the older group showed the younger group games that they played when they were young, they then played them together.

The young people then decided that they would like to hear the stories of what life was like growing up in Donegal for the over 65’s group. With the aid of technology we were able to use visual history, we held interviews with older people in the area and recorded the information on DVD for future reference. The DVD is now in storage in Milford Library for anyone wishing to access it.

For this programme my role as a youth worker with MCYP included supervising the young people as they took part in the activities, organising and planning where the activities would take place and I was also the camerawoman for the creation of the Shared History programme and helped to edit the DVD. The over 65’s Shared History programme won 1st prize in the 2011 ME4U Volunteer Awards. The presentation took place in the Mount Errigal, Letterkenny in November and was presented by the DVC (Donegal Volunteer Centre), the placement agency for Donegal.

Two Valleys Project (TV) T.V. Project (July 2009 – June 2012) In 2009, Donegal Youth Service, with the WELB (Western Education Library Board) created and designed the Two Valleys Project (TV Project). This programme is funded by the SEUPB (Special European Programmes Body) through YESIP (Youth Education Social Inclusion Partnership).The project is charged with reconciling communities and building positive relations at local level by working with young people and adult volunteers living in the Finn Valley and Derg Valley areas of Donegal & Tyrone.

The TV Project had an eventful and progressive 2011 which began with the launch of ‘Listen to Us’ DVD and educational manual. Already the ‘Listen to Us’ DVD has been engaged by over 400 young people through the T.V. Project alone, taking in real life issues the participants were experiencing, centred around the north and south Equality legislation (Section 75). It covered topics including; racism, gender, sectarianism, sexuality, and disability. The TV Project is indebted to the brave young people who shared their stories in front of the camera. An educational manual accompanies the ‘Listen to Us’ DVD which is tailored for classroom and youth club sessions.

Sixty young people and fourteen adult leaders from the project areas were brought together for a very successful Peace Camp which took place in Gortatole, Co. Fermanagh for one week during July 2011. On arrival the young people were organised into teams of 10, with a maximum of two people from the same area, for team building activities.

Following the week of challenging activities, culture workshops, and social events, a unique bond formed between all the participants and this was evidenced by emotional embraces as everyone departed the camp.

Two Valleys Project (TV)

In December the T.V. Project hosted a Cultural Inclusion Conference for young people with the following topics discussed; Young Men and Violence, The Travelling Community, Sectarianism, LGBT, History of the Conflict in Northern Ireland, and Ethnicity. The Conference worked to an open Cafe style theme and facilitators opened dialogue to create discussions which enabled the young people to openly ask questions and have their views listened to.

The success of the TV Project in 2011 can be measured against the ‘attitudinal change’ which was recorded from all the events, with the ‘Listen to Us’ DVD, the Peace Camp, and the Cultural Awareness Conference having had the greatest impact.

Beyond Borders

Beyond Borders is a 2 year project funded by the International fund For Ireland and is managed by the Donegal Youth Service in partnership with Omagh Youth Centre. The Beyond Borders team have been in position since July 2011 and have been working on building positive relationships and community partnerships with young people in 8 geographical areas. The areas covered are Fanad, Gortahork, Falcarragh and Milford in County Donegal and Gillygooley, Beragh, Hospital road and Carrickmore in County Tyrone.

The first two partnerships have been established this year between the Falcarragh area in Donegal and the Hospital Road area in Omagh and between the Milford area in Donegal and the Carrickmore area in Omagh.

The remit of the project is to build partnerships between the targeted areas in order to create a community event in each area that celebrates the achievements and strengths of people in the local community and of young people in particular. The project works to tackle sectarianism and racism by encouraging honest open dialogue between young people from different cultural backgrounds. The project also aims to create a legacy of strong community leadership in each area as well as creating a detailed step by step guide on how to build partnerships, tackle sectarianism/racism and facilitate young people to create community events.

We have completed our first Community event “Yardstock” on December 3rd this year in the Yard Youth project in Falcarragh. “Yardstock” was created by young people in Falcarragh in partnership with young people from the Hospital Road in Omagh and involved representation of young people from Carrickmore and Milford. The event was very well supported by the local community and has been extensively documented for our final step by step guide. The highlights of the day were the Santas Grotto, the Lazer tag and the 8 musical performances by local young people. We have also left behind a beautiful mosaic created by the young people, that will be placed at the beach front in Falcarragh.

40 young people from Carrickmore and Milford have started their OCN in Prejudice and Discrimination this year.

This training has been designed to foster conversations about prejudice and acceptance of others. Tackling sectarianism is a particular aim of the Beyond Borders project and this topic is covered during the nw OCN in Prejudice and Discrimination that we have specifically created for this project. Work has begun this year on a pre – event training day specifically tackling sectarianism to take place in Omagh Youth Centre in March 2012.

Cross Border Connections Cross Border Connections is a PEACE III funded project managed by Donegal Youth Service through the Donegal Community Based Youth Work Consortium.

Phase 1 of the Project ran from October 2009 until 31st March 2011 and focused on delivering programmes and activities which would explore issues around prejudice, sectarianism, diversity and racism for young people aged 8 -25, along with the adult volunteers that support them in their communities.

The Project is based in Lifford/Clonleigh Resource Centre and employs 4 members of staff – 1 full time Team Leader, 2 part time Project workers and 1 part –time administrator.

By the end of March 2011, 549 young people out of a targeted 240 young people had participated in the project where they had the opportunity to explore issues around prejudice, sectarianism, diversity & racism through a series of workshops, Cross border projects, Cross Community projects, accredited training programmes and a Summer project, which ran across Donegal and into the border areas.

Additionally, 171 Adults undertook a range of training which included OCN Level II Youth Leadership with Diversity, Non – accredited Diversity workshops, Conflict Resolution training and Community Leadership.

In July 2011, the Donegal Community Based Youth work Consortium secured additional funding of €282,000 to run a new Cross Border Connections Project under Phase II of the Peace III plan until May 2013.

This Project will engage young people and the adults that support them on a series of activities events information workshops, training and programmes designed specifically to address sectarianism, racism and explore diversity and inclusion. A Summer programme of activities targeting groups on an open call and referral basis from Donegal and the border counties of Derry, Tyrone, Fermanagh will run, culminating in a high profile Youth Day, which will celebrate the learning of the Young People from their journey of the programme participation. The project will work on a Cross border and cross community basis, delivering training responsive to need. The production of a DVD and the creation of a new OCN “Understanding Youth Work in a Diverse Society” will enable further work to continue after the life of the project.

Balance Sheet

Balance sheet

2007 Income € F ixed assets Tangible assets

Belong 2 1.9%

YSG 6.1%

SPY Current assets 11.4% Debtors Teen Between Cash at bank and in0.8% hand

200 6 € DYS 15.1%

YESIP 7.0%

44,345

DYS Bus 0.0% 41,032

1,129 320,452

140,364

Day 143,063 9.7% _______ _______ Planet Youth 321,581 283,427 0.1% YIC Beyond Borders 18.3% (201,671 ) 6.8% (163,210 )

Cross Border 2 5.0% Creditors: amounts falling Cross Border 1 5.7% due within one year

Net current assets

_______

_______

119,910

120,217

_______

_______

Expenditure

Total assets less current liabilities Net assets

SPY 11.1%

YSG 7.0%

Belong 2 1.6%

164,255

DYS Bus 161,249 0.5%_______ HC

164,255

_______

16 4,255

Shareholders' funds Cross Border 2

16 4,255

0.7%

161,249

DYS 13.5%

YESIP 7.6%

Between Profit and lossTeen account

5.3%

Donegal Youth Service Ltd Year Ended 31st December 2011

HC 12.2%

11.5% Day 161,249 10.6%

_______

Cross Border 1 4.9%

_______

Planet Youth

161,2 49 0.1% _______

_______

YIC 19.1%

The financial statements were approved by the B oard on

Beyond Borders 6.4%

15 A pril 2008 and signed on its behalf by

BALANCE SHEET

K ieran M aguire J ohn B2011 owe AS AT 31 DECEMBER Director Director Notes Fixed Assets Tangible assets Current Assets Debtors Cash at bank and in hand

Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

5

€

€

24,671

111,128 347,689

31,056 381,295

458,817

412,351

(153,326)

(121,599)

_______

6

2010 €

23,289

4

Net Current assets Total Assets Less Current Liabilities Accruals and deferred income

2011 €

_______

_______

305,491 _______

_______

290,752 _______

328,780 (1,000)

315,423 (2,000)

Net assets

327,780

313,423

Reserves Income and Expenditure account

327,780

313,423

327,780

313,423

Total funds

7

_______

_______

8

_______ _______

_______ _______

_______ _______

The financial statements were approved by the board on 3 May 2012 and signed on its behalf by : Ciaran Maguire Director

Paul McCusker Director

www.donegalyouthservice.ie

Donegal Youth Service Personnel Lorraine Thompson Regional Director lorraine.thompson@donegalyouthservice.ie Nellie Hannon Finance and Admin Manager nellie.hannon@donegalyouthservice.ie Maria Crossan Administrator maria.crossan@donegalyouthservice.ie

Lee Stephenson CE Supervisor lee.stephenson@donegalyouthservice.ie Gareth Gibson Youth Information & LOFT Co-ordinator gareth.gibson@donegalyouthservice.ie Martin Keeney Youth Information Officer martin.keeney@donegalyouthservice.ie John Ruddy Youth Information Development Officer frankie.mcgreevy@donegalyouthservice.ie Orla O Reilly LOFT Project Worker orla.oreilly@donegalyouthservice.ie Sharon McLaughlin LOFT Project Worker sharon.mclaughlin@donegalyouthservice.ie Marina Porter Daybreak Co-ordinator marina.porter@donegalyouthservice.ie Kerry O’Donnell Daybreak Support Worker kerry.odonnell@donegalyouthservice.ie

Charlene Logue Senior Youth Worker charlene.logue@donegalyouthservice.ie Sheena Boyle-Laverty Youth Outreach Worker sheena.boyle@donegalyouthservice.ie Dominic McGlinchey Youth Worker Two Valleys Project dominic.mcglinchey@donegalyouthservice.ie Julie McGrory Project Leader CBC julie.mcgrory@donegalyouthservice.ie Louise Lynch CBC Outreach Worker louise.lynch@donegalyouthservice.ie Helen Simms Outreach Youth Worker CBC helen.simms@donegalyouthservice.ie Katrina Herron CBC Administrator katrina.herron2@donegalyouthservice.ie Sinead Murray LGBT Breakout Project Worker sinead.murray@donegalyouthservice.ie Frankie McGreevy Project Leader Beyond Borders frankie.mcgreevy@donegalyouthservice.ie Gary Cassidy Project Worker Beyond Borders frankie.mcgreevy@donegalyouthservice.ie Emmet Byrne Project Worker Beyond Borders frankie.mcgreevy@donegalyouthservice.ie

Board of Directors

Paul Kernan Tracy Peoples Paul McCusker Kieran Maguire Gerard Doherty Stephen McNamee Lynn Ramsey Gary Doggett Gerry Davenport Brid Foley Niall Sheridan Marina Carlin Sean McGrory

Chairperson Vice Chairperson Treasurer Company Secretary Director Director Director Director Director Director Director Director Director

www.donegalyouthservice.ie

Contacts

Donegal Youth Service Headquarters 16 – 18 Port Road Letterkenny Tel: 074 91 29630 Fax: 074 91 27612 Email: admin@donegalyouthservice.ie

Youth Outreach Project 16 – 18 Port Road Letterkenny Tel: 074 91 29630 Fax: 074 91 27612 Email: yop@donegalyouthservice.ie

Letterkenny Youth Information Centre 16 – 18 Port Road Letterkenny Tel: 074 91 29640 Fax: 074 91 27612 Email: yicletterkenny@donegalyouthservice.ie

FAS Community Employment Scheme 16 – 18 Port Road Letterkenny Tel: 074 91 88010 Fax: 074 91 27612 Email: leestephenson@donegalyouthservice.ie

LOFT Health Advice Café 16 – 18 Port Road Letterkenny Tel: 074 91 88271 Fax: 074 91 27612 Email: lkyouthcafe@yahoo.ie

Cross Border Connections Lifford Clonleigh Resource Centre Croaghan Heights Lifford Tel: 074 91 72922 Fax: 074 91 42330 Email: julie.mcgrory@donegalyouthservice.ie

Daybreak Programme 16 – 18 Port Road Letterkenny Tel: 074 91 26155 Fax: 074 91 27612 Email: daybreak@donegalyouthservice.ie

Beyond Borders Project 16 – 18 Port Road Letterkenny Tel: 074 91 29630 Fax: 074 91 27612 Email: frankie.mcgreevy@donegalyouthservice.ie

List of affiliated Youth Clubs and Youth Projects: DYS Youth Clubs and Projects

Malin Head YC Glengad YC Fanad YC

Bocan YC

St. Brigid’s YC

Greencastle Moville YC

Waves of Change The Yard

Cockhill YC Creeslough YC

Club Oíge Chríost Rí

An Croí Maghery Fun Club

Milford YC

Buncrana YC Buncrana Youth Drop-in

Kilmacrennan YC

Muff YC Newtowncunningham

Glendowan Letterkenny Youth & Community Club

Manorcunningham

Raphoe YC Castlefin YC Planet Youth Doneyloop YC

Youth Clubs 6 West 5 North

Townawilly

7 South The Forge

11 Inishowen

29 Youth Clubs

www.donegalyouthservice.ie

Notes

www.donegalyouthservice.ie