About us
Foróige is a youth organisation with a difference – here, young people don’t just participate, they lead. Whether running their own Foróige Clubs, creating social impact through community projects, or building confidence through mentoring, they take charge of their own development. With guidance from supportive adults, they set the agenda, make decisions, and drive the action. Foróige also offers tailored supports for young people who need an extra helping hand, ensuring every young person has a space to grow, thrive and be heard. This youth-led approach is what makes Foróige unique.
More about us
Our Purpose
Our purpose is to enable young people to involve themselves consciously and actively in their own development, and in the development of society.
At Foróige, we believe in young people – their ideas, their energy, and their ability to create real change in their own lives and in their communities. Every young person is unique, creative, and capable, and we are here to support them as they take action, develop skills, and shape the world around them.
Through hands-on experiences, learning opportunities, and meaningful relationships, young people in Foróige:
- Build self-esteem and confidence through challenges that push them forward
- Strengthen their ability to form and manage personal and social relationships
- Develop the skills they need to thrive on their own terms
- Learn to assess risks, make informed choices, and take responsibility for their actions
Foróige is not just about waiting for the future – it’s about what young people can do today. Right now they are leading, learning, and making a difference. Our role is to ensure they have the space, support, and encouragement to do just that.
What We Do
Active since 1952, today we work with over 50,000 young people aged 10 – 18 each year. Young people are a powerful force in communities across Ireland, and we work alongside them to find new ways to harness their energy and ideas. Foróige promotes and facilitates their positive contribution to towns, villages and cities nationwide, operating in 26 counties. Learn more about our history here.
We have Foróige Clubs all over Ireland, which are youth clubs run by young people themselves, facilitated by adult volunteers.
We run a wide variety of Programmes focused on skills development outside of a school setting on subjects as diverse as mentoring, entrepreneurship, digital skills and much more.
As well as this, we have a wide network of Youth Projects, which involve more structured activities run by Foróige staff. These Projects help young people to deal with issues associated with poverty, social exclusion, under-achievement at school, early school leaving, youth crime, substance abuse and family difficulties. Find out more here.
You can find Foróige in your local area here
Our values
Each person is unique
Each person has unique qualities and attributes. No two personalities, faces, voices, fingerprints are the same. There is only one “you” in the world and there will never be another one.
Each person is interdependent with others
“No man is an island.” We develop through relations with other people. We achieve more by working together. We have a need of, and an obligation to, each other.
Each person can learn from every situation
Learning does not stop at school. It is part of everyday living. It is a lifelong process. We can learn from each situation or difficulty we encounter. We can reflect on it and develop our thinking and behaviour accordingly.
Each person can make a difference to the world
We are here to improve the world and to change it for the better. Each person has something important to contribute to making the world a better place.
Each person can take responsibility
Each person can take responsibility for his or her actions. We always have a choice: in what we think, do and become. We can choose our own attitude and response to a situation.
Each person is creative
Creativity applies to many aspects of life:-solving problems, organising, the arts, communicating, caring for others. Everyone is creative in some way.
Each person can have an influence
Reality is not fixed. It can be changed by our actions. Each person can influence what is going on. Each can influence what they become in life.
