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The Magnet Young Adult Centre in Hill Street in Newry has been ... well ... a MAGNET to young people from the city, over the past 30 Years. The centre opened it's doors in March 1993 and has welcomed, and more importantly helped many thousands of young adults ever since.
With the big anniversary coming up, the centre has decided to host an Open Day and Fundraiser this Saturday 10 December and everyone is welcome. Organisers are especially looking forward to catching up with people that have used the centre over the years.
Youth leader in charge Claire Havern, 25 has been coming to the Magnet Centre since 2011 Havern says "I used to hang around the town with my friends, it would be freezing or we had nowhere to go then a friend of a friend started coming here, then they told them to come here, and then they told us to come here. So we came in here one day and that was that! We just never left the place since!"
The centre is run for young people, by young people. Since the pandemic lockdowns it has become increasingly difficult to keep it running at full tilt with both funding cuts and the cost of living crisis playing their part. The management committee are even having to consider the possibility of having to close a few days a week but want to try their very utmost to make sure the centre remains open as much as possible for those that need it the most.
Havern says "We're trying to make sure that the centre stays open for the young people because they get a lot from it. As soon as they finish school they're straight here, maybe untill it's nine o'clock and they have to go home and they're like, ah, can you not stay open for another hour or two? So to rip that away from them is a big thing.
"A lot of these young people use this as a support network. They see their friends. They have us youth workers to help them with interviews, life skills, life experiences". she explains. The young people also get help with self esteem, get educated around rights as well as issues around drugs and alcohol abuse.
To attend you need to be between 15 and 25 but sometimes exceptions can be made for 14 year olds if they were signposted from elsewhere. Both Youth Action and Youth Engagement Services are also based there. Groups you can get involved in include Music and Media, Cookery, Creative Writing and Art. The also are working on an LGBT group. Perhaps the largest and most popular area is Music and Media with Magnet formed bands performing concerts at the venue as well as welcoming many well known acts over the years including Christy Dignam from Aslan.
The Magnet Centre is open Monday to Friday, 3pm-9pm and Saturday 3pm-7pm.
Open Day
This Saturday 10 December the Magnet Centre throws open its doors to everyone from 3pm-7pm. There will be a full showcase of the centre and groups available as well as live music and food.
Saturdays event is to show people what the Magnet is all about again, reintroduce people 30 years on and remind Newry people that the centre is here for their community. The footprint of the centre has expanded to virtually twice the size it was with newly extended premises at the back of the Hill Street venue.
There will be buckets around the place if people want to donate but the event is more to showcase what the centre offers and to get it known again to the community.
If you can't make it and you would like to donate towards the Centre you can also contribute at their Go Fund Me Page at www.gofundme.com
