Thirteen youth projects across County Fermanagh received grants totalling £6,000 from Enniskillen Youth Bank at a recent awards event held in Fermanagh House in Enniskillen.
Enniskillen Youth Bank is a unique, innovative, grant-making programme which is run by young people for young people. Youth Bank involves members from all sections of the community ranging from 16 to 23 years of age. Some of the members are still at school whilst others were in employment.
The young people formed themselves into a local grant-making committee and were ultimately responsible for the distribution of funding to youth led projects in Fermanagh, resulting in awarding grants to 13 youth led initiatives across County Fermanagh. Projects receiving support included Carrowshee and Sylvan Hill Youth group, Fermanagh Guides, Kesh Young Farmers Club, North Fermanagh Youth Council, St. Mary’s Youth Club in Newtownbutler, Fermanagh Mallard Junior Ladies and a joint project between Letterbreen Girls Brigade & Mullaghdun Youth Club.
Eimear McAuley the Chairperson of the Youth Bank speaking at the awards presentation thanked all of her colleagues for their efforts over recent months and summarised the work they had carried out. ‘The Youth Bank enabled us young grant makers to take responsibility for making decisions over grants and to be accountable for how the money is spent, adding to our skills, knowledge and experience, learning by doing and evaluation so that the outcomes belong to them. We had to make some difficult decisions but we are confident we have awarded grants that will make a real difference ’
Lauri McCusker Director of the Fermanagh Trust congratulated all of the award recipients on their awards; ‘We are delighted to see the Enniskillen Youth Bank award grants valued at £6,000 to some fantastic projects across Fermanagh. A special word of thanks to the Youth Bank members who working together as a team took some tough decisions. It is they who set themes, create application procedures and criteria, undertake publicity work, interview young people, write reports to assist decision making and to undertake the monitoring and evaluation of the entire process’
The YouthBank members also have had had the opportunity to complete an OCN Level 2 in Grant making. This qualification is unique and an excellent addition to the members’ CVs. The Fermanagh Trust was delighted the 2009 Youth Bank members benefited from this opportunity and we are hopeful the 2010 members will be successful in gaining this qualification.
