THE LATE NIGHT SOCCER LEAGUES PROVE TO BE ANOTHER GREAT
YOUNG PEOPLE ARE IN A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
THE finals of Drogheda Late Night Leagues took place on Thursday and resulted in a win for the Moneymore CABLE team.
The Late Night Leagues were established in 2015 as a response to tackle on-going anti-social issues on the Marley’s Lane soccer pitches, Drogheda Boys changing room facilities and within the wider community.
Since its establishment the project has engaged with over 120 young people aged between 10-19 years and is managed and coordinated by a multi-agency steering committee which includes; local youth services Youth Work Ireland & FOROIGE, Connect FRC, Drogheda Boys, FAI, Respond Housing, local volunteers and Drogheda Gardaí through the Community Policing Unit.
Over the past 12 months the steering committee have been in discussions with the International Fund of Ireland and Connect FRC to secure funding for the development of a project which targets young people aged 16-24 involved in the Late Night Leagues and the wider Drogheda area.
Having successfully secured this funding the Footsteps Project now in operation is a targeted service to young people who are currently out of employment or education and are in need of extra support. It is a Voluntary Personal Youth Development Programme which is strengths based and non-judgemental. It will focus on the young person’s personal development and raising awareness on issues affecting their lives. Cliodhna Cunningham and Susan Breen are heading up the programme.
It is a service for all of Drogheda and is based on personal development of the individual and how best their needs can be met.
It is a border counties initiative and sees the group work with people for up to a year and then link in with appropriate agencies.
‘People at 16 or 17 are between services and some at 18 lose services. We link in with the likes of Youthreach because mainstream school is not the only option out there’, Cliodhna stated.