Co-operation Ireland is currently working with the partner groups in the Republic of Ireland with young people from Limerick, Cork and Dublin being recruited in the first draft of 100 young programme participants. Groups from across Belfast and the North West will also join the first recruits with a number of places being reserved for an island wide open call for participants. An all-island Programme Design Group of various Co-operation Ireland Youth Programmes graduates is working alongside the Co-operation Ireland Future Leaders’ Programme staff to help plan the content and delivery of the new programme.

The groups include:

Youth Groups:Terence MacSwiney Community College, Knocknaheeny & Foroige Knocknahenny; Bishopstown Foroige and Greenmount Foroige Group; Cobh Community College.  Finglas Youth Resource Centre and Finglas Youth Service.  Limerick Youth Service

Organisations:  Local Sports Partnerships (Cork, Dublin & Limerick); Cork ETB with possible to engage other Educational Boards, UCC and University of Limerick, Common Purpose ROI, Gas Network Ireland.

The first phase of recruitment for the Co-operation Ireland Future Leaders’ Programme has brought together young people to explore their own sense of self and well-being while working together on an all-island basis to plan a youth led leadership conference focusing on the theme of Sports.  The conference is being developed and planned by the young people themselves and will be delivered online to their peers and other communities.  A series of training programmes on employability, leadership and communication/presentation skills are being developed as joint initiatives with our partner delivery organisations and programme ambassadors. 

The design of our training programmes is informed by the young people involved in our programme design group, who took part in an online training programme delivered by “Thinking Matters” to develop their understanding of their own personal motivators to enable them to create strategies to enhance their own personal goal setting.

We are currently working with our corporate ambassadors to identify possible Joint Programme Activities which would be designed and delivered by staff of the Ambassador organisation in partnership with Co-operation Ireland Programme Staff.  Ideas to be explored at an ambassador networking event on the 28^th January include themed Workshops or training on topics such as Work skills, Presentation/ Communication Skills, Project Management, Leadership/Management; Mentoring young people to support and inform their learning plans as well as develop opportunities for work experience or internships. 

What it means to our young people:

“It’s very important for young people to have a voice.  We have ideas, we want to do stuff, we want to make changes and I want to get something out of it.   If we can make Ireland or the world or even just one person’s life better, that’s all you can ask for”. Leah Delaney, Dublin

“Being involved in the Co-operation Ireland Future Leaders Programme gives me the opportunity to build a better future that will help my generation to develop skills, build positive relationships across communities and prepare us for being potential leaders in the future”. Sarah Orr, Derry/L’Derry

“I’m so looking forward to becoming a Co-operation Ireland Future Leader and especially joining others from across the island as we go through the programme.  Having been involved in the design team I can see the efforts that goes into making the programme for young people and I’m very grateful to all the Ambassadors who have already come on board to support Co-operation Ireland and the new programme recruits”. Conor Deighan, North Belfast

“The great thing about the Co-operation Ireland Future Leaders Programme is that it brings together young people like me with other young people that I would never have the chance to meet and working together, sharing and learning ideas and getting a better understanding of each other”.  Saim Sayan, Ballymun, Dublin