Top Teens
Superb Citizens

Overview

The permanent tsb Foróige Youth Citizenship Programme is a youth development programme that empowers young people to use their talents and initiative to make a positive difference to the world around them. It involves young people in researching the needs of their community, organising practical action in response, evaluating the effectiveness of their work and reflecting on what they’re learning along the way.

It was a case of Lights, Camera, Action on November 1st 2011 as Ireland’s Top Teens took to the stage at Dublin’s Helix Theatre for the finals of the permanent tsb Foróige Youth Citizenship Awards.

The star studded event was screened on TV3 as part of two prime time specials based on the youth citizenship programme. After performances by Jedward, former Foróige member Ryan Sheridan and Britain’s Got Talent dance stars Flawless, messages of support were sent to all the finalists from famous faces such as Louis Walsh, Laura Whitmore, Michael Flatley, Bernard Brogan and Mary Byrne. Irish rock legend Bono summed up the feelings of everyone present when he addressed the spectacular event via video-link.

“ When I was a teenager all I wanted was to be in a band and for my girlfriend Ali not to run off with the Edge. The sense of duty and service you see in the Citizenship Awards blows me away. These young people are taking on a kind of social entrepreneurship with smart ideas, creative ideas, great ideas for community groups from kids to grandparents, from Mulhuddart to Zambia. They give us faith in the future, in Ireland’s future.” Bono

In 2011, almost 12,000 young people took part in the permanent tsb Foróige youth citizenship programme and gave their free time to design and implement projects that enriched communities across Ireland and overseas.

Following a nail-biting finale, the Foróige Attic Youth Café in Longford town was unveiled as the overall winner with a recession busting Discount Card encouraging young people to shop local in return for a 10% discount in participating local stores. We caught up with Attic member Fiona Leahy to see how the initiative has been going since the group won the coveted title.

“It has been amazing! The idea of the discount card has really gone from strength to strength. We have now expanded it beyond Longford Town and more and more businesses are signing up to it every day - so it is obviously working for them.”