Cork County Council Supports Young People through Foroige Summer Schemes

Summer is a great time for young people. The days are long and bright and there is no school and possibilities for fun seem endless. However, for many young people the opportunities to enjoy summer activities are limited. This is a time when young people can lose contact with their peers and become disengaged from support systems such as school and communities.
Foróige, through its nationwide network of Local Youth Development Projects and Local Youth Services operate a number of summer schemes throughout Cork County to help these young people to have fun, to make new friends and to develop skills and confidence to enable them to fulfil their potential as human beings and as members of their communities.
The Cork Foróige Summer Schemes are a series of fun and learning activities organised by local adults for young people in their community. The age range is usually 5 to 14 years with ‘Teen’ Schemes aged up to 16 years. Schemes are community based, planned and run by local adult volunteers with the help of a co-ordinator and backed up by voluntary helpers.
Chairperson of the Social Inclusion and Community Strategic Policy Committee of Cork County Council Cllr. John Paul O’ Shea said “This is a very welcomed initiative by Foróige and we as a Committee were very happy to support it. Cork County Council has committed funding of €22,500 annually over three years in order to strengthen and expand new and current summer schemes across Cork County. Our youth are very important to us and we need to do all what we can to support them develop and interact with the peers while also supporting volunteerism in the community”.
The County Cork Foróige schemes will have their own action packed programme of fun and learning activities for young people taking part. Scheme Committees take into account the number and age range of young people involved, their interests and the scheme budget. Previous scheme activities have included swimming/surfing, outdoor pursuits, arts and crafts plus many more.
Foróige Regional Manager Mr. Declan O’Leary went on to say, “Cork County Council Summer Scheme funding was an essential ingredient in ensuring that the 10 Foróige County Cork based Summer Schemes can operate again this summer and this funding provides a sustainable platform for future development of Summer Schemes in the county.”
For further information please contact Marie O’Mahony, Assistant Manager, Volunteer Led Services Cork, Foróige, 1st Floor Heron House, Blackpool Retail Park, Blackpool, Co. Cork, T23 R50R. Telephone 021 4308915 or www.foroige.ie  More details click image below: