Franek and Róisín selected as youth council champions

TWO young people from Co Carlow have been selected by the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) for its local champions initiative.

Franek Dobronski and Róisín Kehoe, members of Comhairle na nÓg and Carlow Regional Youth Services, have been selected as local champions for Carlow and Kilkenny. The initiative aims to ensure increased investment from government in young people and youth work locally and nationally.

Franek and Róisín said: “We’re really looking forward to meeting our local representatives and sharing some of the amazing experiences we’ve had with Comhairle na nÓg and Carlow Regional Youth Services. There’s so much important work happening in our area to support young people and we want to ensure our local representatives carry that message to the national level so that youth work in our area and beyond gets its fair share come budget time.” Grace McManus, NYCI campaigns manager, said: “As part of the local champions initiative, a group of passionate young individuals has been selected as representatives from their communities to engage with their local politicians and champion the cause of youth work.” The local champions received training and support from NYCI to effectively convey the positive impact that youth work has on their lives and the lives of young people in their communities, as well as the importance of investing in youth work. NYCI is calling for an additional €15 million investment in youth work in Budget 2025 to support services under increasing pressure and ensure equal access to youth work for all young people nationwide.

As local champions, Franek and Roisín will engage with policymakers, sharing personal stories and using social media to raise awareness and mobilise support.

Over the next few weeks, they will engage with local TDs John McGuinness, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor and deputy John Paul Phelan as well as minister Malcolm Noonan.