An exciting programme of youth centred and youth health-related events are planned in Longford Westmeath.
In 2016, the Longford Westmeath CYPSC established a Child and Youth Participation multi-agency Subgroup to facilitate active participation and consultation with children and young people across Longford and Westmeath.
The membership of this subgroup comprised of the following agencies: Family Resource Centres (FRC) in Longford and Westmeath, Tusla, Longford County Childcare Committee, Foróige, Barnardos, Youth Work Ireland Midlands, Longford and Westmeath Comhairle na nÓg, Westmeath Local Community Development Committee and Westmeath County Council. Since its establishment further services have joined this subgroup namely, Longford Community Development Committee, Longford County Council and Longford Women’s Link.
Following a very successful Child and Youth Participation consultation process, during the development of the Longford Westmeath CYPSC Children and Young People’s Plan 2020 – 2022,
a proposal was put forward during a CYPSC youth event entitled "Shout Out 4 Youth" by the participating young people to establish CYPSC Youth Forums in Longford and Westmeath.
The CYPSC have worked closely with children and young people across the two counties since the Shout Out 4 Youth Event in 2018 and the Youth Forums were developed and launched in September 2019.
The role and purpose of the CYPSC youth forums are to include children and young people in local planning, development and implementation of the Longford Westmeath CYPSC Children and Young People’s Plan.
Membership of the forums comprise of children and young people aged 5– 24 years old. Members aged 12-18 years come from the local Comhairlí na nÓg (Youth Councils) and through local voluntary and community child and youth services for the 5 – 24 age cohort.
Comhairle na nÓg and the community and voluntary child and youth services enable the Longford Westmeath CYPSC to provide a voice to children and young people in the development of local services, programmes and policies.
Although Covid-19 has impacted somewhat on the forums over the last year or so, the forums have successfully worked alongside the Longford Westmeath CYPSC on the development and redesign of a Longford Westmeath CYPSC Youth Health Programme, funded by Healthy Ireland. This programme which commenced in June 2021 was launched online by the Longford Westmeath CYPSC Co-ordinator Gráinne Reid. To view the opening welcome video CLICK HERE.
A series of Youth Wellbeing Workshops are being rolled out across six locations in Longford and Westmeath, namely in Granard, Ballymahon, Longford Town, Ballinacarrigy, Athlone and Mullingar.
The aims of this programme are to
- enhance the knowledge and skills of the youth participants regarding health and wellbeing and
- encourage and support the participants to become Youth Health Champions/ Ambassadors in their respective local communities.
A promotional video for the programme was developed by the Longford Westmeath CYPSC Youth Forums to promote the programme across the two counties:
The hashtag for the programme which will be rolled out over a number of weeks is
#MindYour
and the following are the titles of the #MindYour Workshops and the topics that the youth participants will be discussing during each of the workshops:
#MindYour Mind – Self Care
#MindYour Selfie – Internet Safety
#MindYour Mate – First Aid
#MindYour Bouncebility – Responses/Resilience
#MindYour Body – Sexual health/consent
#MindYour Future – Life skills, actions now affecting future self.
#MindYour – Evaluation and becoming Youth Health Ambassadors in the local community.
The Longford Westmeath CYPSC look forward to working alongside the Longford Westmeath CYPSC Youth Health Ambassadors and to promoting the importance of health and wellbeing for all. #MindYour #KeepWell
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