Believing
in Better

Against a challenging economic backdrop Foróige is working harder than ever to provide our young people with opportunities to meet their true potential.

I believe that as a nation our destiny will be written by us, not for us. I’m confident and hopeful for Ireland and this is inspired by the enthusiasm, idealism and goodness of the 56,952 young people Foróige works with. I believe in them and I believe in their future.

Every year young people vote with their feet and come back to Foróige in growing numbers. They don’t do this because they have to, they do it because they want to, their needs are being met and their lives are improved because of it.

The importance of providing opportunities for young people to socialise in a safe environment cannot be underestimated. I was very much inspired by members of Foróige’s Reference Panel who discussed the increasing prevalence of bullying in Irish Society at a recent meeting. I was heartened to hear that Foróige is a safe place for young people, a place where they are of accepted for who they are and a place where they feel a sense of belonging. We must ensure that this remains a bedrock of what we do.

I was reminded of Stephanie’s story, who was a former member of Newcastle Foróige Club, Co. Wicklow, from last year’s Annual Review. Stephanie described her experience very candidly
“I felt I belonged at Foróige, in a way I didn’t feel at school. I was bullied in school and felt like I was nobody. In Foróige, I was somebody. Being actively involved in the Club gave me confidence and self belief, feelings that had been taken away by my bullying experience.”

Foróige@60

60 years ago a number of visionaries had an idea that was deemed to be an experiment in non-formal education. Today that experiment impacts positively on the lives of 56,952 young people, their families, their communities and their country as a whole.

I hope that we have done them proud.

The bold concept got the stamp of approval from the then Minister of Education, Sean Moylan and the Minister for Agriculture, Thomas Walsh, who both attended the first meeting of the organisation on the 14th of March 1952. Speaking at the meeting Minister Moylan said
“There can be no remedy for our manifold national ills if we cannot create a spirit of courage and enterprise in our young people.”

This sentiment resonates as strongly in Ireland 2012 as it did in Ireland 1952.

To this day Foróige works in proud partnership with the state to deliver world class youth programmes and initiatives to the young people of Ireland. Together we change young people’s lives and we change them every day.

It is in Foróige’s DNA to be innovative, creative and push the boundaries of possibility for young people, their communities and our country. We are passionately committed to delivering the best possible outcomes for Ireland’s youth. So even in the face of economic difficulties Foróige will continue to be courageous and fight to ensure that more young people get access to better youth services and live more fulfilled lives as a result.