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| The Irish Youth Foundation |
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Ireland
The Irish Youth Foundation
Founded in 1985, the Irish Youth Foundation (IrYF) is an independent, development trust, the first of its kind in Ireland dedicated exclusively to children and youth. Its mission is to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of Irish children and youth, especially the deprived and disadvantaged.
IrYF accomplishes this goal through raising funds and making grants to youth projects and voluntary youth organizations throughout Ireland, and assessing projects through a process of action-research, to ensure that the lessons learned in one situation can be applied elsewhere. IrYF's principle areas of interest are homelessness, substance abuse, education, disadvantaged young people and social education. It has a staff of three and manages a budget of approximately US$1.2 million.
In 1994, IrYF entered into partnership with the International Youth Foundation.
Liam O'Dwyer, Director - Prior to joining the Irish Youth Foundation in 1998, Mr. O'Dwyer was the Secretary General of the European Confederation of Youth Clubs and the assistant chief executive of the National Youth Federation. Mr. O'Dwyer is member of the Irish Institute of Training and Development and ex-board member of the Irish Film Centre. He received his Masters in Education from Trinity College in Dublin and a Masters of Science in Organisational Change and Development from the University of London.
Finola Sloyan, Executive Fundraiser - Prior to joining the Irish Youth Foundation, Finola spent 4 years in Ghana (West Africa) working as Consular Officer for the Canadian High Commission and was nominated for the Consular award for excellence by the Dept. of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa. Finola also exported arts and crafts from five West African countries into London and Dublin, using a fair trade policy. Since returning to Dublin she has worked on fundraising projects with the Irish Heart Foundation. Finola has a JEB teaching diploma in Information Technology and in Business Administration.
Opportunities and Challenges
Context
Ireland is increasingly being referred to as a `tiger economy,' which means that we have some of the highest growth rates of all European Union economies, a significant budget surplus, historically low levels of unemployment, an emerging problem with labour skills shortages in critical economic sectors and significant underdevelopment of infrastructure - traffic congestion in urban areas has reached crisis proportions.
Government has been in the favourable position of being able to allocate significant additional resources to a variety of issues affecting children and young people in recent years. Particular attention has been given to addressing the problem of educational disadvantage through a range of early childhood interventions on the one hand and measures to retain young people in the schooling system for as long as possible on the other. It worth noting, however, that according the UN Ireland has the second worst level of child poverty of industrialised nations and the OECD has found that Ireland has the second highest level of functional illiteracy in the developed world.
There are still major concerns about drugs, juvenile crime, homelessness and other maladies associated with unprecedented growth and development but it would no exaggeration to say that these are yesterday's preoccupations . To-day most people appear more concerned about traffic congestion, labour shortages, the provision of childcare services and tax reforms.
Major Programs/Initiatives
Our grant making is focussed around the following themes:
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tackling educational disadvantage through supporting after school groups and projects working with early school leavers, |
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addressing the educational and social needs of young people out of home by supporting agencies working in the field of homelessness, |
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developing new preventative approaches to the misuse of drugs by young people by supporting new Government measures targeted at this problem, |
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assisting with the provision of equipment and facilities by supporting voluntary groups which work with less advantaged children and young people, |
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and promoting social education programmes which offer children and young people the opportunity to take greater control over the direction of their lives. |
Major Accomplishments
Some of our more recent achievements include:
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The President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, becoming the patron of the Irish Youth Foundation |
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Initiating and supporting the Children' s Hour campaign in Ireland. |
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Establishing a co-funding relationship with Government on measures to prevent the misuse of drugs by young people |
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Initiating a review of our grant making priorties and arrangements |
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Developing grant making arrangements in Northern Ireland |
Major Challenges facing Young people
If the tiger continues to roar - and we should remember that the tiger is both a predator and an endangered species - the challenges confronting young people are likely to be as follow:
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The pressure to leave school at the earliest opportunity to take up a reasonably well paid job |
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The pressure exerted by the school examination system to achieve high grades for access to the most prestigious university courses and the inevitable consequences of such a system for those young people who don't want to or can't pursue further education options |
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The pressures placed on families with children by the `need' for both parents to work outside of the home and the absence of state funded childcare provision |
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The widening gap between the rich and poor, between those that have and can and those that haven't and can't |
Institutional Challenges/Priorities
Some the challenges facing the Irish Youth Foundation over the coming years include:
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Renewing board Trustees and Directors and reviewing governance arrangements |
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Ensuring impact and transparency with the proceeds of the Children's Hour |
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Securing new funding opportunities and collaborating with new foundations and trusts |
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Exploiting the increased profile of the Irish Youth Foundation arising from the Children's Hour campaign |
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Initiating research into the new challenges and issues confronting children and young people |
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