Talk About Youth
Ireland
DESCRIPTION
TALK ABOUT YOUTH
Established in 1974, St Andrews Family Resource Centre in Pearse Street, Dublin 2 offers support services and development opportunities to individuals and to families at all stages of life. The Centre offers a wide variety of supports and activities to the local community including, childcare, youth work services, an education and training hub, adult education, college applications, family support services, day centre for seniors, home help service, heritage projects, horticultural projects, welfare rights information and their annual South Docks Festival amongst many more.
One of these key activities is the Talk About Youth Project which provides a professional youth work service to disadvantaged young people aged 10 to 24 years old in the local area. Educational and recreational programmes are designed to enhance the personal and social development of young people. They are empowered to become critical thinkers, to build on their self-esteem, develop social skills and to take responsibility for shaping their own lives and to become positive role models in their community.
The Talk About Youth team works with over 300 young people aged 10-24 who are experiencing economic, social and cultural disadvantages living in an area of high deprivation.
IMPACT / MAIN INDICATORS
An impact assessment is not yet possible. Expected results:
• Improved confidence, independence and communication skills
• Opportunities to develop specific skills
• Learning planning and problem-solving skills
• Increased creativity, imagination, resilience and determination
• Pathways to further education and employment
• Sense of belonging and community spirit
LOCAL
PARTNER
Selection
Duration
Project selected in August 2025
Duration : 1 year
Financed
by
Comgest Asset Management
International Ltd
COMMENT FROM THE AMBASSADOR
Marguerite Gaffney
Less than 2km from the Comgest office in Dublin’s south inner city lies St Andrews Resource Centre, the hub of the local community. I was first introduced to the Centre several years ago by a good friend who is a Youth Project Officer working full time with St. Andrews. By attending public events I became aware of the huge role the Centre plays in the community, dealing with issues of disadvantage, generational unemployment and dysfunction, poverty, drug dealing and addiction, anti-social behaviour and poor mental health, among a myriad of others.
The dedication of the Talk About Youth Project team, through the support they provide to this vulnerable age group and the challenges they face make their work so rewarding. The Project strives to provide, a caring professional service for the young people of this inner city community. The project believes that ‘young people learn what they live’.