O'Dowd Launches Building Of Newry Youth Centre

Education Minister John O’Dowd has launched the construction of a new £1.2m youth centre in Newry.

Speaking at the site, he said: "My Department invested £1.2m into this venture which will provide a shared space and neutral environment for the young people of this area.

"Children and young people are instrumental to building a peaceful, stable and prosperous future for us all. I want all young people to have access to a range of opportunities and the appropriate support to enable them to build their skills and confidence. This will allow them to play an active role in our diverse and rapidly changing society."

The Minister also paid tribute to community youth workers.

"I recognise the excellent work that has already been done locally and look forward to the continued expansion of youth work in the area. In line with my priorities for youth, the focus in the future will be on greater outreach work including programmes with young people who are excluded or at risk of exclusion. There will also be enhanced provision for the training of young people and youth workers, along with increased visibility for the Youth Service as we move forward with ESA."

He concluded: "The new centre will be a modern building with state-of-the-art facilities, catering for the training and meeting needs of the Youth Service in the Newry & Mourne area for the foreseeable future. I look forward to seeing the final result and I hope to meet young people and youth workers in the premises to see the real impact this provision will have."

(IT/GK)