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Starbucks Youth Action 2011
24 August 2011
The Starbucks Youth Action programme is dedicated to supporting young people who have big ideas to create real change in their local communities. After the success of last year’s projects, we were excited to expand the programme to Belfast for 2011. We received some great applications from both counties, which the young people got a chance to work on further at our planning workshop in Dublin, which took place on 7th may.
After the workshop, applicants got a chance to go back to their projects and prepare their pitches for the judging panel. The pitch days took place in Dublin on 2nd June and in Belfast on 11th June. We were all very impressed by the standard of the pitches and how cool and collected the young people were in front of the panel! Almost 20 grants were distributed this year, and the successful projects and their BIG ideas are listed below. Well done guys!
Dublin
The VSI’s project “Living in Dependence” will shed new light on the experiences of young asylum seekers in Ireland in a film focusing on the problems they can have and effects it has on their lives.
The Mulhuddart Community Project are seeking to address the issues of dangerous driving and joy riding in their community. As part of this project the young boys are revamping a FIAT 500. The project will not only teach them practical skills but has also helped the boys make new friends within their community.
The “Making Connections” project is hoping to address the issue of loneliness among their local eldery community through events such as a coffee morning attended by both young people and elderly residents, which took place recently in a Starbucks store.
In the “Trading Places,” project 5 young people from the Computer Club House in Dublin had the wonderful idea of trading places with the older citizens in their community. While the young people learn to knit and quilt, the older participants will create their own graffiti project.
A group from “Pavee Point” are bringing a lost part of the travelling community back to life by building a traditional traveller wagon. Passing on the traditions of their community has become increasingly important in recent with only 3% of travelling community living past the age of 65.
“Ballbriggan Foroige” organised the drug and alcohol free Nitrogen youth music festival which took place in June. With the Coronas headlining, the festival was a wonderful success and was even featured in the Irish Times.
Andrea Fox, who works with Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland plans to hold a series of Creativity and Life Skills Workshops for young people aged 4- 18 who have a intellectual and physical disabilities.
The girls from the Hartstown Girls Foroige Club hoped to brighten up their community centre. They were successful in their pitch and are currently renovating rooms in the centre, with the help of staff and partners from local Starbucks stores.
Belfast
Belfast pilot project, the ‘Out and About’ group have made two short films about being LGB women in Northern Ireland, and will use their grant to host a number of launches and workshops around the films.
Shaking it Up hope to equip young people in deprived areas with a greater chance of attending drama college by running a series of classes, culminating in the production of a Shakespeare play this coming February.
The “Challenge for Youth” project are revamping their youth drop in centre. This project is unique as it is the only youth-led centre in NI and is a neutral space that welcomes all religions in Northern Ireland.
The “Urban Martial Arts” group runs free martial arts classes for young people in their local area with the aim to integrate people from the Chinese community. A grant was awarded to help them publicise their group and attract further members.
Similar to their southern cousins the Malton Fold Community Project are seeking to bring younger and older people together the creation of a community garden.
Nigel Martin plans to bring exciting new game “Rock It Ball” to the Castlereagh Borough area. He hopes it will lead to increased participation amongst overweight children in this fun environment.
The Ledley Hall project plan to clean up their local area, lobbying the local council for bins and arranging a community clean up.
Ciara from the Artillery Youth Centre will carry out research with young offenders in Belfast into the knock on effects their criminal behavior has on their extended families.
Congratulations to all the fantastic young people involved in this year’s Youth Action programme. Recruitment for the 2012 programme will begin early next year so make sure to check back frequently for updates. Given the positive results of this year’s campaign we can’t wait for all the ideas to come rushing in again!
