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An Tobar in Silverbridge is hosting its very first Youth Fair tomorrow night, Wednesday 2 March from 7-9pm.
It's an opportunity for young people and their family and friends to come along and find out about the range of youth services available locally, while having a good night's craic with games and food also on the menu.
The idea is to find out from young people themselves what they want or need. As Hannah Agnew, Co-ordinator explains "Nothing is set in stone until we get the approval from the young people so immediately afterwards we're all going to have a big meeting and then develop the next few months of programs and events based on what young people themselves want."
Twenty Four year old Agnew grew up with Finnegans Nursery and the farm as a big part of her life and now she is back to help get youth services up and running at An Tobar.
She explains "I've just recently come back from five years over in England, down in Cornwall at Art University. A Foundation year in Art and Design and then I stayed for a Degree in Illustration, then did a master's in Communication Design - just clearly afraid of the real world.
"All the work that I've always been interested in doing has very, very rarely been commercial, it's always been using creative means for social good, and design for social impact, and over my five years, just learning the breadth of different ways that you can do that."
Agnew continues "I'm not actually precious about a particular medium, I care about the idea and whichever medium is the most effective way of getting the idea out there, that's what I care about. If I'm not the one that's personally making it I don't have an ego about that at all. I want it to be as good as it can be for whoever the audience is.
"I did a variety of projects in university which included developing projects that was tackling problems with sex education in local communities, and I used South Armagh as the case study for that."
She also did projects about the menopause, gender inequality in the design industry.
"I'm just incredibly lucky that I have this place that my family have transformed into this fantastic social enterprise, that I'm able to come back here and finally turn theory into practice and I'm buzzing to get going and we have already done great things. Even just in the first month It's amazing, like the interest and the excitement around a lot of the projects that we're doing." said Agnew.
One project she is presently working on is Cafe Amach, a LGBT+ Youth Cafe. She hopes to get that going by the end of March, something that she feels is much needed in the area. Those present at the Youth Night will also be able to find out more about this initiative.
Explaining about the Youth information night Agnew said "We're just wanting to give the youth services of South Armagh, a good boost and good promotion with the information night, but we're also going to make it good crack, with food and games and It's not all serious. All are welcome. We obviously want a good turnout from young people themselves but parents or whoever else is interested can come along and see what we at An Tobar have to offer."
Kathleen Finnegan who founded An Tobar along with her sister Margaret ultimately hopes that all the local organisations that are providing youth services of any sort in South Armagh can work together and pool their resources, venues and skills to provide the best service possible for young people in the area.
For the youth event An Tobar is working with Youth Action NI, Elevate, St Oliver Plunket's Youth Club, Rural Health Partnership, Magnet Young Adult Centre and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.
There are quite a few established projects already at An Tobar. The social enterprise involves young adults with learning disabilities in a social farming initiative, they also have a memory services partnership working with people with early onset dementia and embracing the great outdoors, Brian's Wood with 13,000 native trees planted.
The event runs from 7pm to 9pm, Wednesday 2 March and all are welcome. For more information you can email hannah@antobarcic.com
