Funding boost for Mayo youth services will help create, safe, supportive spaces for vulnerable young people
The Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim Education and Training Board (MSLETB) has received funding as part of a significant expansion of the UBU Your Place Your Space Youth Services programme.
An allocation of €120,000 will go to MSLETB. This funding is part of a nationwide investment announced by Minister for Education Helen McEntee, for the establishment of ten new UBU Youth Services across Ireland. The initiative aims to provide targeted, youth worker-led support for up to 1,000 disadvantaged young people nationwide.
A UBU service will now be set up in Castlebar, and an outreach programme will be introduced in Ballinrobe, expanding the reach of youth support in Mayo.
The UBU Youth Service currently has four programmes across Mayo. Involve and the North Mayo Youth Projects, both based in Ballina, support young people aged 10 to 24. Foróige in Ballyhaunis focuses on those aged 15 to 24, while the Erris Youth Service also works with young people aged 10 to 24.
The UBU Your Place Your Space programme is the latest youth funding initiative provided by the Department of Justice. The programme currently supports around 68,000 young people every year, through 249 different services delivered by 16 Education and Training Boards. The core mission of the programme is to reach marginalised, vulnerable, or at-risk youth and help improve their personal and social development outcomes.
The Chief Executive of MSLETB, Tom Grady, welcomed the announcement today and explained how Castlebar and Ballinrobe were identified as areas in need of the services
”The Castlebar and Ballinrobe area was identified as a potential location for a new UBU Youth Service based on extensive research carried out by our experienced Youth Service Team, led by Breda Ruane, MSLEB Youth Development Officer.”
Mr Grady said the mixture of rural and urban areas scored very high on the deprivation scale in an area that has a population of over 10,000 people, and where almost 18pc of the population are aged between 10 and 24.
"Primary research conducted by the Children and Young People's Plan in 2021, found that parents and young people felt that activities for young people would assist in reducing isolation, mental health problems, anti-social behaviour as well as alcohol and drug misuse. This is a great opportunity to meet this vision for the area.”
He added: “We at MSLETB are excited by the prospect of developing this the new UBU Youth Service for Castlebar and Ballinrobe in the coming months,
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank Minister Helen McEntee and the Department of Education and Youth for selecting this application for funding; the support that we received from our own ETB and Mayo public representatives; the letters of support that we received from local interested organisations; my colleagues and Executive Management Team in MSLETB; and to the dedication of Breda and her Youth Services Team in MSLETB for the extensive and dedicated work they put into this successful application.”
Cllr Donna Sheridan, who works with MSLETB and also serves as a member of the board, said she was thrilled with the funding announcement.
“I really welcome the announcement of this funding for youth work in Mayo. Any investment in our youth is an investment in our future. It is wonderful to see this and the ongoing work at the Post Office in Castlebar to turn it into a Youth Resource Centre,
“Breda Ruane in Castlebar leads our youth work team for Mayo, and I know a huge amount of work has gone into securing this funding, I would like to say a massive congratulations to everyone involved. I'm delighted to see our town, and our county progressing in the area of youth provision. This is another great piece of news for Mayo and for Castlebar.”
Minister of State and Mayo TD Alan Dillon welcomed the €120,000 in funding and said he was delighted to see MSLETB included in the vital expansion of youth services.
“This funding will help create safe, supportive spaces for vulnerable young people aged 10 to 24, offering them access to dedicated youth workers and tailored support that can make a real difference in their lives.”
Minister Dillon added: “This is a significant step forward in ensuring that young people in our region have the resources and support they need to thrive. While this is good news for Mayo, we need to continue to expand our youth services, given that Mayo is the third largest county in the country. Having only three areas of Ballina, Erris, and Ballyahunis serviced, we need to put more support in place.”
“I want to congratulate MSLETB and Youth Worker Breda Ruane on the successful application. I look forward to seeing the positive impact these new services in Castlebar and Ballinrobe will have on our communities.”
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.