Booklet to Address Lack of Activities Awareness

Castleisland Community College students, Freddie Browne, Knocknagoshel (left) and Ethan Brosnan, Castleisland with their just delivered copies of the Castleisland Interagency Youth Forum Booklet at the launch in the college on Tuesday morning. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Jennifer O’Sullivan, Family and Community Co-ordinator with North & East Kerry Development – which funded the booklet. ©Photograph: John Reidy

At the launch of the Castleisland Interagency Youth Forum Booklet on Tuesday morning were: Castleisland Community College principal, Carmel Kelly (left) pictured with Dolores McElligott, forum chairperson; Liz Galwey, Castleisland Family Resource Centre making a presentation to Chalire Cooney who accepted on behalf of the CCC students; Elaine Murphy, teacher and project supervisor; Helena Falvey, Youth and justice Worker, Kerry Diocesan Youth Service and Sgt. Michael Costello. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Launching the Castleisland Interagency Youth Forum Booklet on Tuesday morning were, from left: Dolores McElligott, forum chairperson; Helena Falvey, Youth and justice Worker, Kerry Diocesan Youth Service and Elaine Murphy, Castleisland Community College teacher and project supervisor. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Law School: Local members of An Garda Siochána sit in with pupils during the launch of the Castleisland Interagency Youth Forum Booklet at Castleisland Community College on Tuesday morning. ©Photograph: John Reidy

An information booklet has been compiled by students at Castleisland Community College and supervised by teacher Elaine Murphy. The publication, backed by the Castleisland Interagency Youth Forum,  sets out to address a lack of awareness by young people in the college catchment area of the range of activity in their own localities.
The booklet was launched at Castleisland Community College on Tuesday morning and both students and Ms. Murphy were praised for their work in compiling the information within and seeing it through to publication.

It is almost incredible that in the age of instant communication and social media usage that students in the area targeted by the information booklet said that they were not aware of the range of activities available to them in their own localities. That’s according to extensive report on the area
The information in the booklet is laid on a parish-by-parish basis with each club and activity included and its contact details provided.

“The Castleisland Interagency Youth Forum is delighted to have worked in partnership with the Castleisland Community College Transition Year Computer Class to publish this very important and informative guide to recreational options in the greater Castleisland area,” said forum chairperson, Dolores McElligott.

“If ‘Information is Power’ then this is a very powerful document. Research in 2014 revealed that both young people and adults felt that there was not enough activities in area but crucially also that they were not aware of the range of activities and facilities available locally,” Ms. McElligott said in introducing the booklet.

“The forum wishes to sincerely thank the students who researched and compiled this excellent resource and to extend a special thanks also to their teacher Ms Elaine Murphy who supervised the project,” she said.

In conjunction with Castleisland Community College the project was supported by: the Health Service Executive; KDYS; North & East Kerry Development; An Garda Síochána;  Castleisland Family Resource Centre and Kerry Travellers’ Development Project.

The project was funded by the Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme under the auspices of the North & East Kerry Development.
The booklet is available from the NEKD offices at The Crageens and also at Castleisland Community College or from the Castleisland based KDYS office.