Foróige Club

Why this is important

Our world has never had so many ways of communicating - yet young people have so much loneliness and fear of being left out. Our world has never had so many means of solving problems yet many young people don’t know what role they can play. Our world has never been more urbanised, with lots of people around us, yet the bonds between generations and neighbours have weakened. Many places simply lack the means to involve their young people in building strong vibrant local communities. Foróige provides solutions to this.

The background

Foróige is one of Ireland's leading, largest and most widely spread youth organisations. It was founded in 1952. Its roots lie in a desire to compensate for the formal education systems' focus on hard skills. Foróige developed a range of non formal learning and programmes so that young people can develop and practice softer skills - which today are considered critical for employability and for participation in community. They include, critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity. Research from NUIG shows statisitically significant benefits from being in a Foróige club, so there is evidence that this works. Furthermore the programme we operate have also been tested and are evidence based. Foróige also meets young people's also need for time to relax and be with friends, to socialise safely and have support of caring adults. These clubs now operate in every county in the state.