Write a commentYoung people involved with Clanrye Group recently attended a special celebration event to celebrate their achievements through the ‘Regener8’ project.
Based in the Newry area, Regener8 supports disadvantaged young people by providing training and qualifications to encourage them to get back into education or employment. It works to promote the good relations, diversity and personal development of its young people all with the aim of helping make a positive contribution to the local community.
Speaking about the impact the project has had on their life one participant said “Because of Regener8 I have definitely changed as a person, I have so many qualifications now that I never thought I would get and they will help me in the long run. I used to be really shy and not be able to talk to people, but because of Regener8 I have been able to talk to and befriend people I never would have before. I feel a sense of leadership and think people depend on me now and I never had the confidence to lead a crowd before.”
The International Fund for Ireland’s Personal Youth Development Programme funds the project and it's managed by Rural Action and delivered by Clanrye Group, which typically engages with young people faced with a range of complex issues, such as mental health, substance misuse, and/or difficult home circumstances.
Regener8 works collaboratively with agencies throughout the local area and more recently has worked with Newry 2020 to plan, manage and complete the North Street Project, transforming a disused space into a three staged terraced garden. The success of this project saw Regener8 win the 2019 Yaftas Community Safety Award for their positive contributions within the community.
Those involved in the celebration event have achieved OCN’s in customer service, construction, appropriate workplace behaviour, employability, personal development, diversity & good relations as well as receiving external training sessions in Emergency First Aid at Work, Basic Food Hygiene and Manual Handling. There are currently five young people waiting to take their driving and theory test in December.
IFI Board Member, Sadie McDermott, said “This celebration event was the perfect opportunity to mark the achievements of the young people, as well as to reflect on the positive work in the area. It’s incredibly encouraging to see the impact a PYDP project has had on the community and peace building in Newry and the wider area.
“This project has made great strides in giving these young people their futures back, empowering them through education, employment, introducing them to a network of members within the local business community and preparing them for positive life choices.”
The project has recently received a further £100,078 to continue its work with young people in the area.
Dara O’Hagan, Manager of Youth & Family Service at Clanrye Group added“Thanks to the International Fund for Ireland we have been able to provide our young people with a solid foundation in which they can continue to prosper. Our young people have overcome many barriers in the last year, which others often take for granted and their lives have been transformed for the better.
“Each young person on Regener8 had the opportunity to avail of up to five qualifications each. One of the main goals of the project is to encourage young people to become role models in our community. By proactively contributing to various volunteering and social action initiatives, our young people have been able to make a positive impact in their local community.”
The project prepares young people for reintegrating into society through a training programme, tailored to their individual needs. Success stories and transformations are a testament to how Regener8 is helping local young people. From this year’s group, eight have gone on to employment, three are continuing education and five are progressing to year two.
