Tuam Youth Bank helps fund activities promoting friendship

By SIOBHÃÂN HOLLIMAN FUNDING for projects ranging from wall murals to study sessions has been awarded through the Youth Bank initative in Tuam. Youth Bank operates through Tuam Youth Services and since September the committee of teenagers has been meeting to promote, discuss and fundraise in order to provide funding for activities involving and supporting young people in Tuam and surrounding areas. This is the seventh year of the initiative and it has allocated grants to 43 out of the 46 applications submitted during that time. Every euro raised is matched by the Irish Youth Foundation and groups/projects applying for funding are individually assessed and scored by the committee which decides on whether to award a grant, which varies between €100 and €300. Seven projects helped[private] Tuam Youth Bank awarded grants to seven projects this year. Tuam Social Support Sports Club is for children with special needs aged between six and 16 years and members meet every Saturday. It has been very successful and the grant will be put towards a field trip to a similar club that operates in Galway. Mother of 15-year-old Michael Ryan, Tina, says the club allows young people to meet each other, make new friends and enjoy themselves. Treo Nua, the Garda youth diversion project in Tuam is putting its funding towards an outdoor wall mural for children attending Tuamâ€â„¢s gaelscoil. The graffiti idea â€ËœPut smiles on childrenâ€â„¢s facesâ€â„¢ came from Richard Ward, who has been involved in Treo Nua. It aims to transform a dull wall in a yard into a bright, colourful and interesting backdrop to the childrenâ€â„¢s play area. An Exam Study Group for Junior Cert students in Tuam who need extra help with some subjects was another grant recipient. It will use the money to pay for a tutor to help members with subjects they are finding difficult. It follows on from successful classes held during Easter where third level students gave Tuam students grinds. Youth Bank grants have also been awarded to the Order of Malta, Tuam Chorus and Tuam Youth Theatre, which is staging Les Miserables in August. The Junior Youth Club will put its funding to continuing to provide a safe environment where young people can meet with friends and develop new skills. The club gives young people the opportunity to enjoy music and dance while building their self-esteem. Deirdre Burke of Youth Work Ireland Galway said it was great to have Youth Bank operate in Tuam as it helps promote the personal and social development of local young people. She said the innovative after-school project offered informal learning as well as giving them lasting skills for the future. â€Å“Young people can very often feel disadvantaged, marginalised and excluded. Young people are also capable of bringing about social change within their community and they should feel a great sense of achievement in presenting the awards,â€Â she said.[/private]