West End Youth Centre

Introduction

The West End youth centre is located in the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, Limerick. Ballinacurra Weston, which lies at the heart of the area, is one of the most marginalised communities in the country and is a designated Limerick Regeneration Area. We are determined that the West End youth centre will serve as a focal point of activity and purpose for the local young people. Our overall aim is to create a framework of ownership within the community and to offer the best possible youth service for all young people. The youth centre is open five days a week and four week-nights. Structured programmes such as cooking, art, pool, woodwork and beauty are offered directly after school, while drop-ins and group work are scheduled for the evening time and on weekends. During the summer we offer over eight weeks of summer programmes and camps. In September 2017 our Strategic Plan (2017-20) was launched. The Framework for Strengths-based Youth Work in Limerick City and the new National Quality Standards Framework (NQSF) are at the heart of the document.

Our Activities

After schools programmes such as art, baking, sport
Late night drop-ins which offer somewhere safe and warm and as an alternative to other decisions
Small group work for those who request extra support such as personal development or sexual awareness etc

Our Annual Highlights

Mutli-Award winning St. Patrick’s Day Parade entry
Infamous Halloween Haunted House
Family Friendly Santa’s Grotto

Our Ethos:

Young-person-centred (start with where the young person is at)
Strengths-based (instead of starting with what a young person can’t do, we start with what they can)
Restorative justice (practises to address conflict)