YouthBank comes to Glencree!

20-22 March 2009 – YouthBank comes to Glencree for the “Looking at YouthBank differently” event.  The purpose of the weekend was to up skill grantmakers so they can raise the bar for themselves within their local YouthBanks, to test out new YouthBank exercises specifically designed for the YouthBank toolkit, explore issues of inclusion and to strengthen the YouthBank network.

The line up of activities and workshops over the weekend included: “Red Hot Grantmakers” – discover the secret of how to spice up your YouthBank sessions; “Seeing Red”: Inclusion and Fairness; launching of the new “C- Factor” DVD; circus skills; Irish dancing; and the Ultimate Film course.  In attendance were young people and youth workers from Ballymena, Newtownabbey, Kilkenny, Tuam and Waterford.  Everyone involved fully engaged with the programme insuring that the weekend provided added value to all. 

On departing Glencree on Sunday afternoon it was clear that all Grantmakers and Co-ordinators were reenergized and equipped with new skills and knowledge to go back home and now “look at their YouthBank differently”, to raise their expectations and increase their roles and responsibility.  

What is YouthBank?

YouthBank is a unique way of involving young people in community activity.  It does this as an all-island of Ireland initiative through a network of 22 grant-making committees run by young people (14 – 25 yrs).  The funding distributed by these decision-making committees supports projects designed and run by young people, which address issues and concerns of direct importance to them. 

YouthBank starts from the premise that involving young people in projects that they design and run for themselves is the most potent way of engaging young people in their community.  A local YouthBank offers small groups of young people modest funding to support their ideas for action and change.

YouthBank is funded by Ulster Bank and is operated through a partnership between the Irish Youth Foundation, Community Foundation Northern Ireland and Community Foundation Ireland.  To find out more see www.youthbank.org.