MINISTER TO VISIT YOUTH CAFÉ ON THURSDAY

MINISTER TO VISIT YOUTH CAFÉ

Minister of State for Children and Youth Affairs, Barry Andrews, T.D. will be in Clonakilty this Thursday evening where he is due to meet with local young people and visit the premises on Michael Collins Road where the Youth Café is due to open in the near future. For several months now the dedicated committee have been busy trying to get the venue ready for opening, and have spent much time fundraising. Hopefully the minister may have some good news on that front when he calls on Thursday evening?

The Youth Café is something that is badly needed in the town as a venue for teenagers too young to be in bed early, and too young to be in licenced premises. For several years, the idea has been mooted, and while we in Clonakilty have done very well in providing community services for most age groups and backrounds, but for teenagers not interested in sports, there is little to do particularly in the evenings, weekends and during school holiday times.

I have always been vocal about vandalism, underage drinking, and behaviour that affects other people in society, and there is no justification or excuse for it. When these things happen, they are perpertrated by a small minority who do not represent the majority of decent young people. It is so importnat then to provide an outlet for the Youth, where they can expend their energies on positive things that benefit themselves and the wider community.
Youth Cafés are a major success everywhere they have been established. They are run by the Youth themselves, who as teenagers get a sense of responsibility that will stand them good for the rest of their lives.
Here in Clonakilty, the demand for a Youth Café has been made by the teenagers themselves. An active committee including Teenagers themselves, a few Parents and local Public Representitives was set up earlier this year, and have made great progress in the meantime. They hope to have a premises ready for opening shortly.
One of the main challenges is not surprisingly, lack of funding, and practical help when things need to be done. With the country in the state it's in, Government Funding will be very hard to come by.
We therefore have to make the Youth Café happen ourselves. To that end, the committee would welcome any donations, large or small. Earlier on this year, they encouraged people to set up a Direct Debit with a suggested sum of €10/month. This is the equivilant of just over two pints of beer, a very small investment in our youth.