Promoting Youth Development

Promoting Healthy Living

Promoting Community Engagement


What's happening at YMCA

13 April 2018

YMCA Youthquake

Young leaders from YMCA in Ireland participated in the first ‘YMCA Youthquake’ event hosted by YMCA England and Wales on 27 March. Young people, including representatives from YMCA England & Wales and YMCA Scotland were challenged to develop innovative solutions to mental health issues using design thinking methodologies.  Participants solutions will feed into the YMCA […]

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9 March 2018

Youth Voices on SDGs.

This video, produced by young people from YMCA’s Young Reporters group reminds us of how we, through our youth work activities, can help bring about a more fair and equal world. The SDGs YOUth Summit, organised by NYCI was an inspiring event where young people explored the role that they can play to help achieve […]

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7 February 2018

A dog in the ( counselling) room!

Over the past year, staff in YMCA Cork’s counselling service has been a part of a trial to see how having a dog in the counselling room helps young people to relax. This video gives an insight into how it has worked from the perspective of the young people and the counsellor

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10 January 2018

Mpower gets under way!

YMCA is excited to welcome twenty new staff as part of the Peace 4 funded Mpower project. The four year project will work with young people in the 14-24 age group in all local YMCAs in N Ireland as well as in Monaghan YWCA. A range of initiatives will be designed and delivered to enhance the […]

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21 December 2017

Helping to create a Flourishing YMCA!

Staff from every YMCA in the country met in Swords to learn more about the concept of Flourishing and how we can use some of the learning from the growing field of positive psychology to create spaces where young people, volunteers and staff can flourish! The main speaker was Simon Ward, an educational psychologist who […]

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10 November 2017

Getting Creative!

Congratulations to the groups of young people from YMCA projects around the country who received recognition at the Creative Techspace event, hosted in Google HQ Dublin.  Well done to all involved! Short Film Award: ‘Creativity’ Theme: ‘My Name is Arake’ by Global Justice Advocates 📽 https://goo.gl/zyqqXY i.e. the short film that clearly and concisely conveys […]

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19 October 2017

More than Words

YMCAs in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland recently published research entitled More than Words as part of their #iamwhole campaign. Researchers spoke to more than 2,000 11-24 year olds and found out that even though nearly nine in ten (88%) young people who have come across stereotypes and negative words think they should be challenged, […]

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17 October 2017

YMCA AR Goes Digital

YMCA Ireland’s 41st AGM was held in Dublin on Saturday 14 October and as part of the AGM, the organisation’s first digital Annual Review of 2017 was launched. The Annual Review gives the reader an overview of the work of YMCA Ireland during the year as well as an insight of some innnovative programmes that […]

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27 September 2017

#IAMWHOLE call to action in advance of World Mental Health Day

On Tuesday 10 October, World Mental Health Day 2017, YMCA Ireland  and young people from around the world will come together to challenge the stigma that is stopping individuals affected by mental health difficulties speaking out and seeking help. Johan Vilhelm Eltvik, World YMCA Secretary General, encouraged young people to get involved with the #IAMWHOLE […]

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12 September 2017

Learning from the Global YMCA

A group of young people from the YMCA in Ireland took part in a Global Week event in Norway which was hosted by the YMCA/YWCA and funded under Erasmus+. It brought together young people from Norway, Portugal, France, Czech Republic, Romania, Uk , Sweden, Spain, Finland and Ireland. The action packed programme focused on raising […]

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