Pilot SPACE programme for young people launches in Mayo
A NEW group for young people titled SPACE (Social Prescribing And Creative Empowerment) has been launched in Ballinrobe and is the first programme of its kind in the country.
SPACE is a group which aims to support and empower young people and to help them feel confident, valued and comfortable being themselves. The group is for young people who are feeling overwhelmed or stressed, struggling with loneliness or low mood, and looking for ways to connect with other people.
Space can offer one-to-one support, help with connecting to the right supports, regular check-ins with parents or guardians, and a time to reflect.
Referrals are welcome from the individual seeking help, parents/guardians, GPs and healthcare professionals, schools, youth workers and community services.
SPACE is run by the Maple Youth Centre and Tacú Family Resource Centre, both of which are based in Ballinrobe.
Paula Walsh is the full-time youth link worker in the Maple Youth Centre and she explained the background to the programme.
“Space is a social prescribing and creative empowerment for young people. After the Covid-19 lockdowns a lot of young people were looking for that one to one support piece.
“Mary Jackson, who is the coordinator in the Tacú Family Resource Centre, put the application through via the Toy Show Appeal to employ a part-time youth link worker, and that is really where it came from,” she explained.
The Tacú Centre applied to Rethink Ireland for a HeadStart Fund, who fund mental health projects across Ireland, supported by the Zurich Foundation.
“We were very lucky to get three years funding for the programme. I am now the full-time youth link worker, and we can also develop this programme,” said Ms. Walsh: “Young people went from home schooling and studying at home during Covid-19 to going back into society after lockdown, and some students found that really challenging.
“In rural communities there would have been a lot of isolation during lockdown.”
Ms. Walsh explained that the SPACE group is similar to adult social prescribing, which recognises that health is heavily determined by social factors such as poverty, isolation and loneliness.
“This is similar to the adult social prescribing, but this one is for young people. It is the first young people initiative in Ireland, so we are very lucky here in the Maple Youth Centre to have this pilot programme in Ballinrobe. The hope is that this SPACE project will be rolled out across the country through the other family resource centres.
“Mary Jackson is coordinator for both the Tacú and Maple centres here in Ballinrobe, and it is important that we are based in the youth centre because we know the young people who call in for the various drop-in or any other groups.
“The fact that they know us here makes it less daunting if they are looking for that one to one support.”
The programme is for 12- to 18-year- olds, Ms. Walsh explained. However, if there is someone who is aged 19 then they will also be welcome.
Young people can refer themselves or they can be referred to the programme by parents/guardians, their school, youthreach, social workers or family support.
SPACE group meetings take place in the Maple Youth Centre, Bowgate Street, Ballinrobe.
Further details are available by contacting (087) 2430695 or email tacuyouthlinkworker@gmail.com.
The programme is funded by Rethink Ireland and the Zurich Foundation.