Midlands Regional Youth Service (Youth Work Ireland Midlands)

Midlands Regional Youth Service, now trading as Youth Work Ireland Midlands (YWIM) works in partnership with young people and their communities to develop, coordinate and promote a comprehensive response to youth needs throughout the midlands region of Ireland. The organisation does this through a range of services including - Community Youth Projects, Youth Justice Projects, A Youth Information Centre (online and in house), Rural Youth Club Development, International Youth Work Projects, Advocacy and Lobbying, Youth Democracy and Youth Councils. Our main demographic are young people from Co. Offaly, Westmeath and Roscommon, age 10 to 18 years, and we also work with older groups from 18 - 25 years, fostering their leadership skills and civic awareness, through local, national and international programmes. Our projects are all youth led, with consultation and engagement of the young people at all levels of the organisations operations. The main objectives of our practice - encourage youth participation in youth and volunteering programs, with a strategy to promote opportunities on european programmes. -promote the overall development of young people through educative leisure time activities. -develop and offer a wide range of services, like information, training, guidance and advice to schools, social organizations, institutions and bodies active in the field of non-formal education in the area of leisure time activities. -provide initial and on-going training for volunteer leader and own staff in the field of non-formal education to achieve adequate education in the area of leisure and social intervention. All the work carried out by the Community Employment Project partners is specifically targeted in areas of economic and social need and in high areas of unemployment. Through our work, the organisation supports and develop, the work already being carried out by the partner agencies and places a focus on progression and training. Many of those who avail of the services within our organistion have first hand experience of youth / children in their areas and are facilitated to contribute to the services being provided for this target group in their community.