Setting up a Youth Club is easier than you think! If you're interested in starting a youth club, need support, or just want more information, Donegal Youth Services Outreach Team is here to help!
Become a Donegal Youth Service Member Club
Affiliating with Donegal Youth Service is a straightforward process and once you have everything prepared, it’s quick and hassle-free. The entire process can be completed online, and our ASPIRE Donegal team is available to assist with filling out the application.
16 Great Benefits with Donegal Youth Service
- Insurance – through Donegal Youth Service you can get full Public Liability Insurance for your club. However, some clubs have their own public liability insurance which covers them for youth club activities.
- Training for Adults – DYS offers accredited training in Child Protection, Youth Leader Training and Love Hurts (Sexual Health Train the Trainer) for Adult Volunteers.
- Garda Vetting – for all adults involved with your youth club is required as part of Children First legislation. In addition, Introduction to Children First (Tusla online Safeguarding) is required as Volunteers wait for the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) Child Protection Awareness Programme (CPAP) to take place.
- Training for young people – DYS offers accredited and non-accredited training for young people in areas such as Personal Development, Peer Education, Peer Mentoring, Sexual Health Awareness, Drug & Alcohol Awareness, Community Event Planning, Conflict Resolution and Community Development.
- Information Sessions – DYS provide various information sessions for adults and young people on topics such as Sexual Health Awareness, Drug & Alcohol Awareness and Cyber Bullying / Internet Safety
- Programmes and Events – The ASPIRE Donegal Project runs many programmes and events annually. Please see our plans for each Quarter of the year.
- Support – On affiliation to DYS you have access to the support of the Line Manager and 3 x Youth Workers as well as links to all the other DYS Projects. Staff in DYS are on hand to support youth clubs via email, on the phone or in person as needed. All youth clubs will receive a minimum of one club visit per year which will be scheduled at a time suitable to the club leaders and members.
- Volunteer Forum – The Volunteer Forum is a panel of volunteers from each of our Youth Clubs who come together twice per year to help shape and evaluate the work of ASPIRE Donegal. These meetings allow club leaders to contribute to the plans for delivery of the ASPIRE Donegal Project, remain up- to-date in terms of what is coming up through DYS and to give feedback on the events during the year.
- Funding – The ASPIRE Donegal team will forward information on all suitable funding applications to all clubs and also offer guidance on how to fill in funding application forms.
- Places on the Youth Advisory Panel – A group of young people who shape the work of Donegal Youth Service. Each youth club is invited to nominate two young people to sit on the panel.
- Summer Programme Support – Staff of DYS will support any SummerProgrammes running in our Youth Clubs by running sessions on arts & crafts,cookery, information sessions or sports.
- Flag weekend – Each year DYS organises a Garda Permit for the second weekend in May for door-to-door, street and church gate collections. DYS will work in partnership with youth clubs in order to ensure that the permit is used to its full potential countywide.
- Volunteer Achievement Awards –DYS annually run Volunteer Achievement Awards, in which youth clubs can nominate young people, volunteers and youth initiatives for awards in recognition of their contributions through local youth clubs. Every youth club is also entered into the Youth Club of the Year Award which is given to the club participating in the most DYS events throughout the club year.
- Publicity – All youth clubs are welcome to submit articles into the ECHOnewsletter, which is distributed via email through the Letterkenny Youth Information Centre every quarter.
- Policies – Youth clubs will receive a fully comprehensive policy pack on affiliation, to assist with club development and progression.
- Quality Standards – The Youth Outreach Project team will assist all youth clubs with completion of the National Quality Standards for Volunteer Led Youth Groups (NQSFVLYG) documentation as part of the ETB Youth Club
Grant.
Get started on your Youth Club today
For more information or assistance, contact our Youth Outreach Manager, Charlene Logue on 074 91 29630 or charlene.logue@donegalyouthservice.ie.
