No Eurovision for Ireland but Limerick has Our Voice Our Europe
Limerick Youth Service celebrates European Youth Week
IRELAND had no Eurovision entrant in Vienna this year but Limerick had Our Voice Our Europe.
Limerick Youth Service (LYS) hosted the event at the Northside Youth Space in Ballynanty as young people celebrated this year’s European Youth Week.
Through interactive workshops, creative activities and information sessions, the children and teens explored this year’s theme of Solidarity and Fairness, and how young people can play an active role in creating more inclusive communities.
Among participants were sixth class students from St Mary’s National School, King’s Island and Thomond Primary School, Ballynanty who took part in a European themed T-shirt making workshop.
Students from Thomond Community College joined their peers from the LYS Youth & Family Support Project, as they shared their experiences on Solidarity and Fairness in a jigsaw workshop.
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Young people were also given the opportunity to take part in a badge-making workshop and experience a virtual reality youth space with the LYS WorkAbility Project, the latter is part of a European project with the Technological University of the Shannon.
A special highlight of the event was the presentation of EU YouthPass certificates to young people who participated in two youth exchanges with LYS to France and North Macedonia.
The young people, who are members of the respective LYS Garryowen Youth Together Project and the Diversity Youth Group, were presented with their YouthPass by Cllr Padraig Reale, a former participant on international youth work programmes.
‘It’s great to see so many young people availing of the many opportunities available with Limerick Youth Service through the Erasmus+ programme,’ said Cllr Reale as he congratulated the young people in receiving their EU YouthPass.
Cllr Reale fondly recalled his own participation in two youth exchanges saying, ‘They opened my eyes to the outside world and gave me the confidence to explore more and purse a career in the youth and community sector”.
Fiona O’Grady, LYS CEO said European Youth Week provides an opportunity to celebrate young people, their ideas and their potential.
‘The theme of solidarity and fairness strongly reflects the values we promote every day through our youth work programmes and it is fantastic to see so many young people engaging in European Youth Week,’ said Fiona. LYS thanked all the young people, youth workers, facilitators and teachers who participated and organised Our Voice Our Europe.