Youth Work Ireland Week
Local Heroes… Our Local Volunteers
Youth Work Ireland Week 2023 takes place from Saturday April 1st – Saturday April 8th and will see hundreds of events and activities taking place across Youth Work Ireland Member Youth Services. The week is a chance for us to celebrate and promote the work local youth services do in communities around Ireland. Throughout the week young people will take part in events and activities that promote, evidence and celebrate youth work and achieve positive outcomes. This year we will be celebrating and recognising the fantastic contribution volunteers make to youth clubs and services with a national campaign #LocalHeroes rolling out across our Member Youth Services.
Volunteers are the life blood of Youth Work Ireland and our network of youth clubs, without whom this vital work would not be possible. As a federation we have always acknowledged and recognised the significant role volunteers play in supporting the wellbeing of the young people in our youth clubs. Volunteering can provide people with the chance to give back to their local community, develop new skills, and meet people with similar interests. No matter the reason for their volunteering these amazing people are deciding to give up time in their busy lives to support local youth services. So during Youth Work Ireland Week 2023 we will be recognising and celebrating our local heroes – our volunteers! There are many ways – big and small, that we can do this, but the best way will be to make our volunteers feel special and hear about the impact that they make to young people when they give up their time every week to support youth clubs.
During Youth Work Ireland Week 2023 we are inviting youth clubs to recognise and celebrate their own local heroes – their volunteers, by organising celebratory activities and events and by taking part in our national activity.
Check out some of the events taking place during Youth Work Ireland Week>>
Local Hero Packs – All Member Youth Services will receive a pack with the following items.
- Youth Work Ireland Week 2023 – Celebrating Volunteers Resource
- Certificate of Appreciation – This is also editable on Canva
- Youth Work Ireland Week Poster Final 2023
- Cape Cut Out
- Local Hero Lanyards
- Volunteer Training Resource
If you want to be part of this campaign please contact Gina for more information
Each year we focus on a theme and develop an activity / programme pack which provides young people with the opportunity to:
- Develop knowledge, learning and skills around the theme.
- Participate in activities that support personal and social development outcomes.
- Have their voices heard on the issues that are important to them.
- Showcase and promote the work of our MYS.
- Have fun and meet new people!
Youth Work Ireland Week 2022
The Feel-Good Activity Pack
Youth Work Ireland Week is celebrating Youth Work Ireland Week 2022 with the launch of a brand new activity pack for youth clubs – The Feel Good Activity Pack
This pack was developed in response to an articulated need by our Member Youth Services and through consultations with young people, youth workers and volunteers. It is jam packed with fun activities, games and crafts youth clubs and groups can take part in.
The Pack was developed with and for young people and youth workers and the topics and activities in the pack were identified by young people and youth leaders as the issues and areas of most interest and relevance to them. The pack will be distributed to youth clubs around Ireland during Youth Work Ireland Week which takes place from April 9th – April 16th. We hope that those who volunteer to support our clubs, will find The Feel-Good Activity pack an inspiration, a valuable source of ideas and a comprehensive menu of pursuits which will enhance the youth club experience in their communities.
Youth Work Outdoors 2021
During COVID-19 we spent too much time indoors, on screens, separated from each other and generally interacting online. Getting back outdoors and reconnecting with each other in a safe physical way was hugely important for young people’s sense of connectedness and mental / physical health. The hard work and passion of youth workers in supporting young people during Covid was evidenced by the variety of innovative and creative work which brought traditional youth work activities and events into outdoors settings. This was the focus of Youth Work Ireland Week 2021.
In 2020 to support youth workers and volunteers to get back to safely meeting and doing outdoor activities with young people, we developed a new resource which will ensure that this work can be done creatively and safely whilst adhering to Government Covid Guidelines. #getbackintothatday
Youth Work Ireland Week 2020 Activity Pack #myplanetmypledge
As part of Youth Work Ireland’s Consensus Process 2019, young people told us that the environment and climate change was a key issue they wanted to learn more about and campaign for change on. At the moment it is young people who are leading the way in terms of activism and bringing attention to the need to combat climate change. Through demonstrations and protests they are challenging Government and decision makers to act now to ensure the environment is protected for all generations.
The Youth Work Ireland Week #MyPlanetMyPledge Activity & Resource Pack was designed to be flexible, with workers and volunteers able to select individual activities to suit their group and time. The activities can be done without too much preparation or materials, be delivered by both youth workers and volunteers and will support young people to learn skills, reflect on their personal choices and develop the knowledge they need to become advocates for the environment. The last activity in the pack asks young people to commit to one pledge they will make in their own lives to help create a better world for all.
Youth Work Ireland Week 2019
National Activity Pack
Youth Work Ireland Week is also an opportunity for young people to express their ideas and views on a certain topic or issue that affect their lives. In 2019 we were inspired by the slogan ‘youthworkworks’ and developed an activity ‘Pieces of the Puzzle’ which supported young people to celebrate and name the positive outcomes they gain from being part of a youth club, particularly around issues of identity, self-expression and confidence. The ‘Pieces of the Puzzle’ activity was inspired by The Puzzle Art Installation and Collaborative Project originally created by the New York artist Tim Kelly and is a creative way to have individual voice collectively heard. It is a simple way for each of us to tell our own story and will give young people a sense of being part of something bigger than their local club.
Youth Work Ireland Week 2018
Youth Work Ireland Week 2018 took place from Saturday April 21st-28th and focused on the topic of Sexual Health. Throughout the week youth services created a space for young people to have their voices heard on this issue. We ran a national consultation to support young people to understand their sexuality, develop a positive view of sexuality and guide their decision making and behaviour in a health way. From these consultation young people will identify the main issues they want to LEARN MORE about, BE HEARD on & HAVE INFLUENCE on in relation to sexual health.
Youth Work Ireland Week 2017
In 2017 we promoted the contribution youth and community work make to equality for young people in Ireland. Through focusing on Equality, we promoted actions and initiatives among young people, in Irish society and within our own organisation that support and build equality. During Youth Work Ireland Week thousands of young people from across Ireland took part in an arts based activity which shared their stories of what it is to be equal in Ireland in 2017 – Stories of Equality. This activity created a shared understanding of equality, and helped raise awareness of equality challenges young people face in Ireland. The activity is available to download below
