Our youth clubs cannot run without adult volunteers who provide a fantastic commitment to working with young people in their local communities. Some leaders are parents but many are community members who have an interest in contributing to their local community, and to making the world a bit better for young people. These volunteers give up their free time without looking for recognition and we cannot emphasise enough how awed and proud we are of them.
All youth clubs are open to all young people in their community – the junior clubs work with young people aged between 8 and 12 (primary school) and senior clubs with young people between 12 and 18. The older young people may also act as Junior Leaders to the junior clubs, once they have done FLIP, and also form youth committees for their own senior clubs.
Whether any night is ‘typical’ in a club is debatable as on any given weekend you might find a club doing a programme on drug abuse, getting involved in a local community event such as tidy towns, travelling to another club to take them on in a soccer challenge, hosting a table quiz or just hanging out! Volunteer leaders are trained to talk to and listen to young people and any activities will reflect the interests of the young people who are members of the clubs.
All volunteer leaders are required to complete volunteer training before starting as youth leaders. This training is comprehensive and delivered by our rural outreach team. Covering both theoretical and practical elements of youth work leadership, the training programme provides volunteer youth leaders with skills and confidence to work with young people in a safe and supportive manner. Training is also provided on an ongoing basis in different areas such as arts and crafts, first aid, drama, sports leadership, youth work skills and refreshers for the volunteer induction training
All volunteer leaders are required to undertake training in child protection as part of induction, and all leaders must be garda vetted and provide references prior to starting as leaders. Youth Work Ireland Tipperary, as part of Youth Work Ireland, avails of its garda vetting service.
One area that both volunteer leaders and young people get a great value from are our regional events. The rural outreach team arrange a calendar of events on an annual basis, and clubs are encouraged to attend, meet with other clubs and take advantage of the rural outreach team to organise activities.
Coming SoonWe have two experienced youth workers who link closely with the volunteer youth leaders, visiting clubs on a regular basis, and always available to provide either phone, email or face to face support to leaders to address any issues or queries they may have about their club or practice. We also support clubs to undertake projects themselves and will work with them to make funding applications and to develop project management structures.
Clubs are encouraged to come together once a quarter to advise the rural outreach team on the project, guide future events and training and provide peer to peer support, as well as link into the overall running of Youth Work Ireland Tipperary through the board of directors . There are three youth club rep positions on the board of directors, and each club also has the right to send a senior member to the Junior Board of Management.
Each club is affiliated to our national organisation, Youth Work Ireland. This means that club insurance is organised centrally, and that youth clubs can avail of national programmes, events and workshops.
Youth Work Ireland Tipperary, trades as a company limited by Guarantee (registered in Ireland No. 233784) with its registered address at Croke St., Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Youth Work Ireland Tipperary is a registered charity 11277 - © Youth Work Ireland Tipperary 2023
