Published: Wednesday, 7th July, 2010 5:30pm

Youth centre project to progress with €260,000 grant aid

The exterior of St Mary's Hall, set to be home to a youth cafe and dedicated youth centre.

The campaign to secure a youth cafe and dedicated youth centre for the town's young people has received a massive funding injection this week, with news of significant grant aid of €260,000 from the Department of Health and Children, monies that will fund the full modernisation of St Mary's Hall.

The Gateway Project, an inter-agency group driving the venture, expects work to begin on renovations to the large Northgate Street premises shortly, and it's hoped the centre will open for local young people by Christmas.

The facility, which already received over €85,000 last year for the development of the youth cafe, to be called The Youth Booth, will also house a number of different projects including a Foróige youth group, Barnardos Family Support Service and Big Brother Big Sister programme among others.

"What it means is the whole of the internal part of the building can now be renovated with a working stage," a delighted Dolores Crerar, Project Manager with the Gateway Project enthused this week. "It's great to get such support. The youth committee is over the moon. This time last year it was only an idea and now they are seeing it all come together."

€200,000 is earmarked for capital works including the installation of a disability lift, disabled toilet facilities and ancillary heating, plumbing and decorating works. The funding will also be used to upgrade the existing stage area to develop facilities for drama, dance and performing arts. Another €60,000 is to go towards the staffing costs of the new centre.

"We want the young people to take ownership of the centre and steer it in the direction they want to in terms of activities. For instance, we're looking at providing a fully kitted out band rehearsal studio, where young people can come in and practice," Ms Crerar commented, adding that the facility will also be very much a community use for other local groups as well.

She thanked the Office for the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, for the allocation under the Young People's Expansion to Services and Facilities Fund for their ongoing support since securing the initial capital investment of €85,049 under the Young Peoples Services and Facilities Fund back in August last year.

"It's magnificent money, the bones of €300,000, when you take the €85,000 already allocated for capital works. It's a real seal of approval in youth work in Athlone," a delighted Deputy Mary O'Rourke declared this week after her intense lobbying of Minister Barry Andrews for the project paid off. She said the renovations will also give much needed employment in the area.

"I'm very happy, it's very positive. It's a real mark of faith in the future of young people in Athlone," she commented. Praising the Gateway Project for their hard work to bring the project fruition, Deputy O'Rourke said young people are very much involved in the process and will really benefit from having a place to meet in the evenings when the renovations are complete.

The Gateway Project was established in Athlone town in February 2009 as a response to requests of the young people from Athlone town to develop a youth cafe service to meet their recreational, social and educational needs.

In response, to this request an inter-agency collaboration was formed to develop the Gateway Project. Members of the collaboration include Athlone Community Taskforce, Foroige, Health Service Executive, Westmeath VEC, Westmeath Community Development, RAPID, Athlone Community Radio Station, The Big Brother Big Sister Project, St Marys Youth Ministry, St Mary's Parish Services, Athlone Women's Network and the School Completion Programme.

It's hoped through a holistic and co-ordinated inter-agency approach the organisations can provide a variety of social, recreational and educational programmes as a positive alternative to young people at risk.