Ballyfermot Youth Service

Report 2010

InsideChairperson’s

Report

Manager’s Report

Amenity Centre

Afterschool

Programme

Peer Education

Drug Awareness

Youth Work

Programme

Information Centres

Oakwood

Residential Centre

Youth in Action

Projects

A Dhaoine Uaisle,

Cuireann sé an áthas agus bród orm an tuairisc seo asheoladh daoibh.

It gives me great pleasure to commend this annualreport to you, which captures the wide and varied rangeof programmes and activities that we have carried outin 2010. Despite this being a very difficult year interms of budgets and cutbacks, we have managed as aorganisation to consolidate the range of programmesthat we offer to young people, and continue ourcommitment to them. During the last twelve monthsalone, we have seen the usage of our residential centre(Oakwood) in County Wicklow begin to play animportant part in the lives of young people, over 500young people have now used this centre in 2010.

Our Outward Bounds Amenity centre in Park Westcontinues to provide outdoor education activities withemphasis on adventure sports and our Drop in InternetInformation Centres on Decies Road and Drumfinn arecontinuing to attract young people with over 9100visits in 2010.

Our personal development and peer education drugsawareness programmes together with the afterschoolprogrammes in Decies Road and Gurteen continue toprovide positive choices for young people. Ourdevelopment of the European Youth in Actionprogramme again highlights Ballyfermot YouthServices as one of the leading organisations in Irelandusing this programme for the benefit of young people.The links between schools, community groups and

BYS continues to grow and thesharing of resources is atestament to the communityspirit which is alive andthriving in Ballyfermot.

I wish to thank my fellowManagement Committeemembers for their guidance and support inimplementing such a comprehensive range ofprogrammes.

Many thanks to the Manager Gerry Mc Carthy and hisstaff for their commitment and dedication to the youngpeople of Ballyfermot. I also wish to thank the staff ofthe Gurteen Youth Club Community Employmentproject for all their help with the various programmes.Mile buiochas to City Of Dublin Youth Service BoardLiaison Officer Gwen Doyle for her assistance andsupport.

Finally, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to theOffice of the Minister for Children and the City ofDublin Youth Service Board for their continuedfinancial support to the project. I can guarantee thatthe financial investment has made a difference to thelives of young people in Ballyfermot.

Mar focal scoir, “Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann nadaoine” and I look forward to working with you in2011 and having another successful year.

Mary Daly, Chairperson

MANAGERS REPORT 2010 has been an exciting time for Ballyfermot YouthService, we have seen continued progress in developingservices for young people with the new Oakwoodresidential centre operational. The upgrading of Drumfinnand Decies Information Centres and the major renovationof the Gurteen Youth Centre in 2010 has meant that BYSkept our commitment to providing the best facilities foryoung people in Ballyfermot. In this report you can see thevarious programmes that we have delivered in 2010. Ourprogrammes are designed to provide positive alternativesfor young people and we are committed to involving asmany of them as possible in our activities.

The issues facing young people in Ballyfermot are stilldaunting, drug misuse, early school leaving, youthunemployment are major challenges. However there hasbeing some improvement in the numbers of young people

staying in the education system until leaving cert level andopting for PLC courses. This is to be welcomed andencouraged but we must ensure that any introduction offees and charges do not stop young people fromBallyfermot progressing to third level.

No organisation can make progress without a committedworkforce. I would like to acknowledge the commitmentand enthusiasm that the staff of Ballyfermot Youth Serviceand Gurteen Youth Club Community Employment haveshown to improving the lives of young people. I would alsolike to thank the members of our management committeewho give their time voluntarily, for their help and support.A special word of thanks to Gwen Doyle Liaison officer ofthe City of Dublin Youth Service Board for all her help andalso to the many schools and community groups who wework in partnership with.

Gerry Mc Carthy, Manager

Chairperson’s Report

Outward BoundsAmenity CentreThe amenity centre is situatedin Park West Business Parkadjacent to the Grand Canal,which is an ideal location formany of the activities &programmes it provides.

Aims:Our aim for the centre is toengage young people in ourtargeted groups and involve themin positive recreational activity.Through this involvement inexciting and very social activitieswe hope to develop core life skillssuch as: respect, teamwork,communication skills, andimproving physical well-being aswell as an awareness of self, othersand the environment. We alsopromote a ‘Leave no Trace’ policy.

Programmes:Throughout the year the youngpeople have participated in awide variety of programmesincluding, Intro to Kayaking &Open Canoeing, Irish CanoeUnion Level 1 proficiency inkayaking, Mountain Biking &Bike agility as well as multidisciplinary adventure sportsprogrammes, including rockclimbing, orienteering, fishing,

snorkelling, gorge walking,hillwalking, camping &overnight expeditions &residentials. Most groups meetonce a week for a minimum of 2hours.

In 2010 the centre catered forthe following numbers:2616 visits to the centre 1024 individual young people

l 617 Boysl 389 Girlsl 18 adults

The centre also works closelywith other agencies withinBallyfermot who target specific‘at risk’ groups such as earlyschool leavers, Garda Diversionprojects, young people alreadyinvolved in the justice systemand provides them with anoutdoor education option fortheir programmes.

In 2010 we worked with thefollowing organisations amongstothers:

WHAD, ABLE, BASE YoungParents Groups, St. Ultan’sCare Unit, BallyfermotTravellers Action Project,Equine Centre Early SchoolLeavers, The Life Centre, StDominic’s Junior SchoolCompletion programme &Mary Queen of Angles SCP.

We run the activity section ofaccredited programmes helpingyoung people who are out offormal education to gainqualifications & formalrecognition.

This year it included:

v Supporting 4 young peoplein achieving their GoldGaisge Award.

v 5 Achieved their FETACLevel 3 in Kayaking.

v 6 achieved their FETACLevel 3 in OutdoorPursuits.

Irish Canoe Union PersonalKayaking Proficiency Awardwere achieved by:

u 51 Discovery Levelu 48 Level 1 u 8 Level 2u 2 Level 3

4 have completed their Level 3training.

Amenity Centre

This year we started two sport-specific clubs, a Youth KayakingClub and a Mountain BikingClub, in order to introduce ahigh skill level & competitiveelement for those dedicatedyoung people.

The Kayak club comprises ofyoung people who have shownan aptitude, interest &enthusiasm for the sport as wellas 3 Junior leaders who havecome up through other clubsand groups run by the centreover the past few years.

In May they took part in the

Junior Liffey Descent & inAugust travelled to Wales.

They camped in the village ofBala on the banks of theTryweran River which is one ofthe most popular kayakingdestinations in Europe for youngkayakers and clubs. It offers damcontrolled exciting white-water

up to grade 4 and a perfect safetraining ground for groups topractice skills while getting ataste of the travelling culturewhich kayaking has to offer.

The Club is currently fund

raising to go to Slovenia nextyear which is a highly renownedarea for white water paddling.

The Mountain Biking clubinvolved 12 young boys fromBallyfermot. They trained onvarious downhill & dirt biketracks around Wicklow. Theytook part in the KippureMountain Biking SummerRacing series where one youthwon a bronze medal.

Due to the popularity inMountain Biking as an activitywith the young people, ourbikes have had a great deal ofuse and are reaching the end oftheir useful life in the centre.

Therefore, with the help of over40 young people we have beenfundraising to purchase newbikes by the end of the year.

As part of the InternationalSurfrider River and CoastalClean up 2010, 22 young peoplewere involved in filling 2 largeskips from the clean up of theGrand Canal at the 7th Lock.

Staff:Allegra Lalor, Outward BoundsCentre Coordinator/Senior Instructor

Ger O’Reilly, Outward BoundInstructor

Barbara Healey, Administrator.

During the summer we werefortunate to have two additionalstaff funded through the DublinCity Council Student SummerScheme. This enabled us toprovide outdoor activities to amuch greater number youngpeople than would otherwisehave been the case.

This year we have assisted twoyoung men from the communityin developing their skills asleaders through taking them onfor work experience. One hascontinued to work with us as avolunteer, in what is, for him,his first experience of theworking environment.

The After-schools program was set up to facilitatethe needs of Young People living in Ballyfermotwho may not have for a number of reasons theability to complete their homework after school.We have two centres one in Gurteen Youth Clubin Upper Ballyfermot and the other located inDecies Road Ballyfermot Lower. Both Centres arerun by the Youth Workers and CommunityEmployment (CE) Staff of Ballyfermot YouthService.

The Young People in question attend nationalschool locally and are in 5th and 6th class. Someof them are referred to our After SchoolsProgramme by the liaison officer in theirrespective schools and some by parents and othersby self referral.

We work continually in partnership with thelocal schools by providing them with officialConsent Forms which outline what the AfterSchools program entails and what guidelines areset in place. These forms are brought home to beread and signed by their parents or guardians.The program consists of four separate groupswhich has an average of ten members, the sessionsare held from Monday to Thursday. The programbegins directly after school and we are locatedwithin walking distance from both schools.

The Young People require a calm, safe and enjoyableenvironment to complete their homework. This is vital,and we are always aware that attending the AfterSchools Program is completely voluntary and we needto keep them motivated at all times.

Over the course of the school year for four days aweek we provide shelter, hot meals, stationaryequipment and activities to meet therequirements of the young people. On our firstday we create a code of conduct where the YoungPeople have a major say in how they approach andachieve their objectives. This makes the youngpeople realise that they are a fundamental part inestablishing an enjoyable environment to assist

in completing their homework.

We would begin the session with a hot mealprepared by our CE Staff especially as some of theyoung people may not get this elsewhere and afull stomach helps to increase their attentionspans. When the meal is finished we begin withtheir homework in a group or separately ifrequired. We also encourage some of the moreadvanced Young people to assist their peers wherepossible. After the homework is completed weengage in indoor or outdoor activities weatherpermitting. Some of the activities include artsand crafts, music, sports and internet access.

Outcomes

Due to the continued high attendance levelthroughout the school year it proves that theyoung people enjoyed participating in theprogram. Hopefully by making learning moreinteresting it will improve their chances ofstaying in school. To help with this we also usethe homework club as a link to encourage ourmembers to stay involved with the Youth Servicein general. This is normally achieved directlyafter the After School program has ended in Juneand our Summer Program starts in July. Thishelps to strengthen and continue therelationships created between the young peopleand Staff.

Martin O’Reilly

Afterschool Programme

Ballyfermot Youth Servicework in partnership with youngpeople to find new innovativeactivities which will motivateyoung people and provide themwith exciting opportunitieswhich will enhance there socialand personal development. Someof our initiatives are asfollows…

New InnovativeInitiatives

K now your rights cards

The know Your Rights Cardresource, informing youngpeople of 52 rights which theyare entitled to was launched thisyear by one of our young men’sgroup in partnership based inthe Gurteen area. These youngmen have been involved withthe youth service for a long time

and have done a wide range ofworkshops, activities and tripsover the years with the youthservice such drugs awareness andalcohol programmes, racism,first aid course, car repairworkshops, leadershipprogramme and youth exchangetrips. They seen a gap in theneed for information aroundyoung peoples rights and theyresponded to it.

The cards are available fromBallyfermot Youth Service, 41Decies road Ballyfermot Dublin10.

Peer Education SuicidePrevention Programme This year Ballyfermot YouthService and The Base YouthCentre will work together on anintegrated project which willtrain 10 young people tobecome peer leaders in the areaof suicide prevention. Theseyoung people will be

Supported to develop thereknowledge and skills in the areof suicide prevention which willenable them to facilitate sessionwith there peers and hopefullyprevent more young people fromtaking there own lives.

Music madnessAs part of the youth workprogramme Ballyfermot YouthService has been developing anddelivering music programmesfor the young people we workwith in the area. This year wehave facilitated more than 30music sessions which haveinvolved guitar lessons,drumming, DJ’ing and musicappreciation. Alongside this theyouth service runs disco’s for 10– 13 year olds in Gurteen YouthClub. We see music as a greatway for young people to expressthemselves, explore the worldwe live in as well as a fantasticskill to have. We will strive toimprove and expand our musicprogramme so that as many

young people as possible get theopportunity to take part in thefuture.

Saturday Nights SoccerCampThe Saturday night soccer campcaters for up to 100 youngpeople every Saturday evening,the event is split into differentage categories and some of the young people fromBallyfermot Youth Service andGurteen Youth Centre act as referees at the event forthere peers. This initiativecontinues to be a success yearafter year.

Young peoples Involvementin Beyond 96 Youth Club

This Year 8 young people age16-18 took over the running ofthe Beyond 96 youth clubwhich was set up in 1996 by agroup of young people at thattime. The unique thing aboutthis club is that it has alwaysbeen and always will be run byyoung people from thecommunity for there peers.

Youth Work Programme

What is peer education?Peer education is based on a concept which makespositive use of potential peer influence. It involvesthe sharing of information, attitudes or behaviourby young people who are not professionally trainedinstructors but whose goal is nonetheless to educate.This is the concept which provides the foundationfor the Ballyfermot peer education programme.

According to young people in Ballyfermot “peereducation is about young people coming togetherfor a purpose to share knowledge and experiences inan informal setting.”

Peer Education programme &Training This year in 2010 the peer education programmesupported 9 schools in the area and involved 245young people in a variety of peer educationprogrammes including peer education training.These programmes were based on developingleadership, facilitation, group work skills & Drugsawareness workshops. The programmes weredelivered in the following schools in the Ballyfermotarea:

l St.Dominic’sl St.John’s Collegel Caritas College

l Pobal Scoil Iosaide which is now part ofBallyfermot Drugs Task Force area

l St. Louises x 2l Mary Queen of Angels x 2l St.Michaels

Each group facilitated by the peer educators last forup to 10 weeks. In two of the above named schoolsthe programme is mainstreamed as part of thetransition year curriculum. The content over the tenweek period is as follows:

l Identifying peer education definitions l Exploring peer pressurel Personal development l Drugs awarenessl Leadership skills, Facilitation skills, & Group

work skills

OutcomesThis training also provided the young people withan opportunity to put there skills into practicethrough facilitating sessions for there peers withinthere school or youth group. The young people alsoexpressed that they were more confident &knowledgeable regarding drug related issues withinthere community, they also expresses that theleadership skills would help them in their futurecareers after completing the programme.

International Youth ExchangeIn June this year the Peer education programme hostedan international exchange based on promoting healthierlife styles for young people through the concept of peereducation. 30 young people from Ballyfermot, Valencia& Belgium came together to share experiences fromthere own culture and learn about creative ways to workwith there peer groups in there own country. Theexchange provided opportunities for the young peopleto participate in new exciting activities such as outdooreducation, non formal workshops based on the themeand lots of other fun activities.

Peer Education DrugsAwareness

“Young people are growing up in a fastchanging and complex world where they areconfronted with many choices, conflicts,challenges and pressures. Often they have tomake decisions, some of which will shape therest of their lives.To do this effectively, theyneed reliable information on the optionsavailable.”Dochas Na Og, Ballyfermot Youth Service, 1997

Youth information, in the context of theeducation process, aims to empower youngpeople to make informed decisions about theirlives, by providing fast and easy access to awide range of information in an informal andsupportive environment.Youth informationCentres (YIC) enable young people to avail ofopportunities, todevelop their skills andabilities, to solve problems and to activelyparticipate in society at a local, national andinternational level. Ballyfermot Youth Serviceruns two YICs, located at 3 Drumfinn Parkand 41 Decies Road.

This year both centres have undergone majorrefurbishment with up to date facilities. Thecentres are approachable and youth friendly,encouraging young people to walk in off thestreet. Frequently, young people will use thecentre to browse and access the free broadbandInternet Service, often returning within a fewdays for assistance and advice on specific issues

or queries. This year there were over 9000visits by young people to the centre’s

FacilitiesThe centres provides a free and confidentialinformation service to young people and thosewho work with them on a wide range ofsubjects including:

l Accommodation

l Careers / CV advice

l Education & training

l Employment

l Family / personal problems

l Finance

l Health & Personal support

l Travel

AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!

Information Centre

Opening Hours Decies: Mon – Friday 2.30 – 7pm

Drumfinn: Mon – Tue 2.30 – 7pmWed 2.30 – 9pmThur – Fri 2.30 – 7pm

doowkaOBYS Open NewCentre in Wicklow

For the past three years Ballyfermot Youth Service have been developing our own outdoor education centre in County Wicklow. The centre is based outside Blessington on the road to Glendalough and was previously operated by Catholic Youth Care as Oakwood. Following their decision to hand this centre back to Coillte, who own the premises, we approached them and agreed that BYS would take over the lease. The location of the centre is ideal for many activities and as it is based in the Garden of Ireland many natural amenities such as: lakes, forests, walking trails, kayaking activities and mountain biking trails.

The centre was in very poor condition and needed major refurbishment to bring it up to modern standards. BYS appointed architects Kearney Merriman and set about designing a centre that would be able to be used for outdoor sports activities and for hosting international exchanges. The centre can now sleep up to 24 persons and each bedroom has its own bathroom facilities. There is a common sitting room and modern kitchen facilities. Major work was conducted on insulating the property with double glazed windows ,doors and installing a new central heating system.

Ballyfermot Youth Service would like to thank the many individuals and organisations who helped us with the project. To our Funders, Rapid Ballyfermot, Dublin City Council, CDYSB and the Local Drugs Task Force for their assistance with this project. Specialthanks to Gurteen Youth Club for their generous financial assistance. And to Coillte and Catholic Youth Care who agreed to transfer the lease to us. Also to our builder Elmleaf Construction and Architect Brian Merriman. We look forward to using the centre and continuing our work with young people giving them a positive experience of living in the country.

European Youth in ActionYouth Exchange LithuaniaIn June 2010, 50 young people met in the little villageof Ayltus in Lithuania, ten of the young people werefrom Ballyfermot. The Youth exchange was centeredaround a cultural centre in the town whichspecialises in dance, film and drama activities andthere were groups from Turkey, Ireland, Poland,Romania and Lithuania. The experience allowed theyoung people to learn about each others lives byliving together, learning about different aspects oflife in other cultures. Given that one of thepriorities of the Youth in Action Programme isto combat racism and xenophobia in Europe, this projectdemonstrated to the young people the advantages of working together as a team.

ThemeThe theme of the exchange was Bread as a common food and link throughout Europe. Bylooking at how Bread is used in different societies and the way it is vital to our daily diet.We also looked at the way junk food is both advertised throughout Europe and the needfor young people to stay healthy by having a balanced approach to these foods. The youthexchange also looked at how dance, sport and music can be used as a tool for integrationin society and how you can use these tools as a positive force for bringing people togetherfrom different cultures.

ActivitiesThere was a wide range of activities organised throughout the ten days from music to art.Each group was asked to pick a MTV music video production and to replacate this in frontof the larger group. The Irish group chose the Fat Boy Slim video of “Praise You” the groupalso got to create a picture using only Black and White materials.

Like most exchanges, this experience also allowed young people to learn about each other’slives, by living together, learning about different aspects of life and how each country inthe European Union treats its young people. This youth exchange allowed the young peopleto experience how participation in sport can be used as a positive activity to break downbarriers.

While in Lithuania the group got to visit the capital city of Vilnius and the many attractionsit has to offer. We also took part in a sailing event in the town of Trakai.

All the logistics for the trip such as meals, accommodation were provided by the Lithuaniangroup and they made the young people from Ballyfermot very welcome.

Theme

In February 2010, six young people fromBallyfermot who volunteer in the youth serviceembarked on a youth exchange with a difference,

The project was held in Puumala Finland, whichis in the north of the country. This is a small ruraltown about four hours from Helsinki. The projectinvolved young people from Finland, Lithuania,Czech Republic and Ireland.

The weather was completely different to ourweather as it was -20 degrees to - 25 degrees. Ittook the group a few days to adjust to theclimate.

The project was based in a local school and therewas a very busy timetable which involved variousworkshops and cultural events. The workshopsincluded :

Puppet making

The puppets where displayed in a local civicbuilding and each country made a stable withtheir countries flag. The children from the localprimary school visited the display and got to playwith the puppets.

Cooking. Traditional dishes

Film making

Recycle bag making

Where each young person made a bagrepresenting their country and at the end of the

programme the young people got to swap theirbags so everyone had a bag from a differentcountry.

Activities

As skiing is a major part of the Finnish culture wetook part in cross country and downhill skiing,this was a first for the Irish group and they reallyenjoyed the experience in the snow.

They went on a shopping trip to the city ofMikkeli, where they visited vintage shops and fleamarkets. Energy saving was one of the topics ofthe exchange and they looked at how Finlanduses and conserves its various forms of energy.

Culture

The programme allowed each group to give apresentation through culture and music of theirown country. The group from Ballyfermot cookeda Irish stew on the Irish night and also wore Irishfootball and GAA jerseys. They brought Irishinstruments such as a tin whistle and a bodhrán.where they performed a display in the civic officefor the Mayor of Puumala.

Young People Comments

“It was an experience of a lifetime”

Brian Perry, Sarah Doyle, Natalie Mc Kee, NatalieJudge, Lorna Maher, Aoife Quinlan, AimeeHarding

European Youth in ActionFinland 2010 “The great outdoors”

Tree Cultures One JourneyOakwood County Wicklow Aug15th - 22nd

The project was a Tri-lateral exchange,hosted by Ballyfermot Youth Servicein our new Oakwood Residentialcentre in Co. Wicklow and also inBallyfermot. The exchange broughttogether 30 young people, fromIreland, Belgium and Italy and washeld over 8 days in Aug. Our partnerswere Comune di Tortona Italy and LeGrand Mome Belgium. The theme forthe exchange was “Tree CulturesOne Journey” the theme representedthe environment that we work andlive in and the journey and theexperience of using the environmentto have positive experiences of life.The project also challenged ourattitudes to our environment and learnfrom our experiences to appreciate ournatural environment

We used various sports activities toengage the young people and build upteamwork,we also used the process ofgroupwork to establish teams, theemphais was on participation,planning, commun-ication skills,learning by doing and saftey. Therewere challenges of self discovery andlearning for the young people. theproject will also included a number ofworkshops using various methods suchas IT, Art and Photography. We usedthe three languages throughout theproject. Italian, French and English.

Our objectives were:l Build Teamwork.l Learn about our enviornmentl Strengten the links between

the three countries.l Try new sports l Improve communician skills

in the various Languagesl Learn about each others

culture

PreparatoryPrior to the exchange each groupmet weekly to research, plan andimplement their workshops. Theywere responsible for designing andlisting all the materials required fortheir workshops. They wereresponsible for providing two icebreakers and games that they didwith the larger group. They were alsoresponsible for organising workshops.

ActivitiesWe used the following sportsthroughout the project: Kayaking,Mountain Biking, Hill walking,Gorge walking, Rock Climbing,reading maps, planning routes

Workshops: IT Photography, PowerPoint presentations, Films, CulturalNights, Forest Walks, Learning songsfrom different countries.

Visits: Water Treatment Plants inBallymore Eustace where we learnedabout the process of supplying waterto Dublin and the various stages oftreating that water before it gets toyour tap, We also included a visit toBallyfermot where our group acted asguides visiting various community

facilities and services and comparingrural and urban life. We did aworkshop with Eco Ensco onsustainable living which was allinteractive.

The Italian group did a presentationon ECO Mafia which showed thehuge damage that is done to theenvironment in Italy and the vastprofits being made on illegal wastedumping, both Industrial and social.

We also had a night in Dublin at theRiverdance show in the gaiety.

Group w ork From the outset ofthe project we used group work

European Youth in Action

European Youth in ActionOakwood 2010

Youth Exchange Ireland-Valencia-Belgium“Promoting Healthier options through Peer Education”

How it all beganFunny story this… in May 2008 Janice met Kostas on a YouthPass Training in Bulgaria!! Later, Janice contacted Kostas toorganise an exchange in Greece, but he was on EVS in Valenciabut agreed to organise the exchange there. When we arrived inValencia we met lovely Lilly, unfortunately Kostas had alreadyleft. The exchange turned out to be an amazing experience forthe young people and led to a partnership with Ireland andValencia this year in June in Ireland.

The PlanThe funny part was this year Kostas was back again with Valenciaand arrived for the APV here in Ireland where we planned thisyear’s exchange. All the plans were made but by the time wehosted the exchange Kostas had left Valencia and gone back toGreece!! Once again the exchange went ahead with a thirdpartner from Belgium & turned out to be an amazing experience.

The ExchangeThe theme of the exchange was promoting healthier options foryoung people through Peer education “young people teachingyoung people”. The programme involved 30 young people intotal and each day was spent participating in a variety of activitiesbased on the theme e.g. self defence workshops, gym, kayaking,mountain biking and lots more.

The young people also facilitated a variety of workshopsthemselves based on drugs awareness and developing a betterunderstanding of one another’s culture. Everyone involved hadan amazing experience.

So what’s next?Well guess who’s popped up again? Yes Kostas to conclude thefinal part of our exchange and where better than Greece at leastthis time he can’t leave. In the Easter break this year the youngpeople will travel to Greece to participate in the eco wave’sproject where they will learn about the environment, newcultures & have fun.

European Youth in ActionSweden Trip August 2010

Ballyfermot Youth Service fundraised with agroup of young people for 3 - 5 months for atrip to Sweden. The trip took place on 26August – 29th August 2010. They did BagPacking, Discos also sold spot the balls inschools, shops and at home. The group wasmade up of 6 young people from theBallyfermot area and 2 Staff.

The group worked very hard whileorganising this trip looking foraccommodation, planning activities andtimetable and things to do while they werein Sweden.

While in Stockholm they visited manytourist attractions in the city. They alsopurchased a “Stockholm Card” whichallowed them to get discounts on PublicTransport and Admission to 80 places suchas Museums, Parks etc.

They went to an Aquarium, The RoyalMuseum and a tour of Stockholm on a bargeand horse and cart. They visited the TivoliTheme Park followed by a Concert, and theyalso went to Restaurants and shopping.

A highlight of the visit was a trip up to SkyView, it the name of the attraction that takesyou on a breathtaking journey to the top of

Ericsson Globe, the world’s largest sphericalbuilding. From it’s peak at 130 meters abovesea level, you gain a whole new perspectiveon Stockholm.

Gemma Stanley, Lauren Nolan, NatashaFletcher, Ashling Rochford, DanielleMcDade, HayleyKate Conlon, Bryan Perry,Ema Geraghty.

European Youth in Action

D.O. I.T. 4 YOUStarting in October 09 a youth democracy projectentitled - ‘do it 4 you’- ‘think glob@lly, actloc@lly’ – began in both Ireland and Italy. Therewere four organisations involved in the project,Ballyfermot Youth Service, Limerick YouthService, Tortona (Italy) & Tropea (Italy).

The project, the first of its kind is about youthparticipation in decision making, in particularabout their right to be listened to on the mattersthat concern them and on all issues that have todo with their communities. This was done bybuilding relationships with local politicians andrepresentatives through workshops and sharingthe information gathered by consulting with localyoung people.

The project wanted to experiment with newtechnologies and encourage young people to usethem to express their opinions on certain issues.We also wanted to expand the ways in whichideas are heard and expressed so that theconsultation and decision making process is morerelevant to the world we live in today.

The project entailed two international meetings,the first in Tortona in February 2010 & thesecond in Ballyfermot in August 2010. Duringeach international meeting the young people tookpart in workshops to learn how to make videos,

use photos and explore the key concepts ofparticipation, democracy and power in society.They also had the opportunity to become clownsand entertain the citizens of Tortona!

Overall, the year was a great success and theyoung people got to experience lots of newsthings, new cultures and new ideas. BallyfermotYouth Service hopes to continue this work intothe future and to ensure that young people in thearea take an active role in the decisions that affectthem.

Ballyfermot Youth Service

Awards

Ballyfermot Youth Service, 41 Decies Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10. Ph: 6231431