Killian O’Kelly, a Foróige volunteer in Bundoran, Co. Donegal has won an award in the category Youth & Children at the Volunteer Ireland Awards. Killian donated his own business space to the Foróige Bundoran Neighbourhood Youth Project when there was no room for the project to operate due to budget cuts. He has also offered surfing lessons to over 30 young people every summer over the last 5 years.
The National Craft & Design Fair takes place on Dec 4th - 8th at the RDS, Dublin. Up to 125 of Foróige's young entrepreneurs have been invited to come along and sell the products they have created as part of the Foróige NFTE Youth Entrepreneurship programme. These talented entrepreneurs were given a seed grant in September to set up and run their own businesses and have been working hard over the last few months to prepare their products for the Craft Fair.
The single features the outstanding vocal and musical talents of young singers and musicians from across Ireland. More than 100 Foróige volunteers – adults and teenagers – gathered together to record the single, ‘Calling You Home for Christmas’, which also features moving solo performances by young Foróige members from Tallaght, 16-year-old Bobby Keely and 16-year-old Trisha Rafter. Composer Gavin Bryne, a Foróige Youth Worker in Blanchardstown, urged people to make this song your gift to a friend or family member who can't be home this Christmas.
As myself and my sister grew up we were counting down the days until we could become members of Foróige - a local hub to socialise with our friends after a hard week at school!
Throughout my childhood I had often heard stories of the great times that were to be had at the local Foróige club in my parish of Kildallan. During the 1980's my father was a leader at the club and often lamented on the adventures the club went on, the people he met and how much the youth of our area enjoyed attending the club, with particular emphasis on club outings and inter-club events.
My older sister Sarah joined the club first and I got to see first-hand how exciting it was to be part of the club as she got into her snow boots and denim mini skirt to head off to her first Foróige disco!
Foróige’s Christmas single was recorded on Sunday 10th November at Finnstown House in Lucan. Volunteers, staff and young people arrived in their droves to participate. The song is entitled “Calling you Home for Christmas” and has an emigration theme. The song will be in aid of Foróige youth services in Tallaght and Blanchardstown. It was composed by Gavin Byrne who is a Youth Worker at Foróige’s Computer Clubhouse in Blanchardstown. The cover art was created by Richard O’Connor who is a former member of the clubhouse.
Vanessa, a Foróige youth entrepreneurship programme graduate attended a conference on Youth Employment and Quality Jobs in Paris recently. She presented President Francois Hollande with a specially designed Pixi Pot which featured a French and Irish flag. Learn more about Pixi Pots at Vanessa's Facebook page here.
