Championing children

THE former Mayor of Londonderry, Mildred Garfield is passionate about youth work, and here she talks to Olga Bradshaw about youth provision in the City and her vision for it's young people.

Mildred, you were fifth female Mayor of the City.

The fifth Mayor.

Out of curiosity, tell me this: Did you wear the fur robe of office or the 'alternative' option?

I wore the fur one. I thought the fur robe was nice. I am kind of a traditionalist, and I know Pat and them didn't wear the fur because they are against blood sports, but I just thought the fur robe was traditional and it was there and why not use it.

In your year as Mayor I know young people were a very strong focus with you. Were there any projects in your year as Mayor that you would still like to see completed?

One thing that still stands out in my mind the year that I was Mayor was that I received a petition from youth from across the City regarding a skateboard park. I know, to be fair, there have been other Mayors and councillors who have been fighting that corner since, but up until now - and this is 10 years further on - the young people have not got their skateboard park.

Really.

I think, you know, when you look at so much waste ground, so much wasted land at industrial estates lying vacant and you hear the negativity about the young people when they were skateboarding around the Iceland store, then you wonder why they can't devise a skateboard park.

We have the winter Olympics going on with snowboarding and things like that, yet without facilities you cannot grow the athletes of the next generation.

Anybody listening to Jenna McCorkell's father talking on the radio or television recently about his daughter who is from Coleraine and who went out to compete in the Olympics in Vancouver, that girl was getting up early and going and doing extra hours to let her do her canvassing and practicing to get where she is today, and that is all well and good, but we have nothing here. We have no facilities here for the young people in this town - no matter what side of the town you come from.

I know there is a lot of development work underway in the City. We are getting a revamp of the City centre, the ancient sites, but do you know of any projects specifically for children and young people that are coming up as part of that?

I don't know of any at the minute and I would like to think that when the revamping of Ebrington Barracks site and St Columb's Park, I would like to think that when they are revamping these sites that they are being imaginative and are going to take into consideration what these young people are looking for and for the facilities that they will go and use.

Do you think that there are enough facilities for young people in this City.

No I don't, honestly don't think there are enough facilities for the young people in this City and another thing we are very lost without is youth leaders. I cannot understand why our schools aren't promoting young people to go into youth leading. No matter who you ask, even the Western Education and Library Board are stuck, they cannot get youth leaders to go into their centres to be leaders in charge or youth leading.

Why do you think that is? Is there a stigma attached to community work?

I don't know. Maybe the wages are not good. Maybe it's the hours are not suitable. We have the youth centre up the street and we have terrible problems getting youth leaders for it. We are working with some youth leaders, but we work with a very big voluntary base.

You are chairman of the Caw Youth Centre, aren't you?

I am. I have been chair up there for a number of years now.

Are there any projects up there that you would like to see and that you think might enhance the Caw Nelson Drive area?

We are very successful through Drew Thompson and Linda Watson and we hope in September that our football team, which is up and running, will really take off, but if we could get the facilities that a junior band that will be able to come from that and we would like to pull that together - but, it is getting the leaders to lead them, you know?

I know you are actively involved in a lot of things and that you are on the Board of Governors at Ebrington and Culmore Primary Schools. It is obvious from your CV that you have a very strong interest in young people and in developing young people.

Yes.

I'm curious as to your thoughts on how this City should go forward, because we have a very young population compared to other areas like Belfast or Fermanagh. What sort of things should the City Fathers (and Mothers) be looking at?

As you say, I am on the Board of Governors of Ebrington and Culmore. Now the Governors are very excited about the new project that is coming to fruition - the new school that is going to be built on the land at Clooney. I hope that as a community worker you hope, and I certainly hope, that you can work together with the school and maybe with the addition of the school and the youth centre and the community we can work cap-in-hand, and maybe enhance what is going to be there. Equally with Culmore who expanding their school down at Culmore and schools I think have become more community-based. The day of the school has gone, I think, the day of the school interwoven with the community is the way forward. I think with the minute at Lisneal that there are a lot of community projects. There is a lot of use of the school. It is lit every night of the week, and I think that is the way forward. They all have their facilities which helps to cut down on the cost because we need to get the young people out there and get them active in whatever way we can.

I know you are also very actively involved in the YMCA and with the youth and community groups in Newbuildings. If you could wave a magic wand, could draw down funding or had an opportunity to do something for the young people of this City, what would you do.

I wouldn't know where to start Olga. There is so much I would love to do if I only had the money to do it.

Well, do you have any pet projects?

Well, certainly the skateboard park would be to the fore because the day I accepted that petition I promised those youngsters that I would do everything I could. So I would be very much to the fore with that. There are so many...the YMCA is a brilliant facility. I have to say that every time I go out to the YMCA the youth leader out there is an inspiration. She knows exactly what direction she wants to take her kids and what they are doing and I would love to see that spread across.

What do you think the key to her success is?

I think she listens to the young people first and foremost. She lets them devise the programmes and I think that is important. I know what I want for the young people, but what I want is maybe not what the young people want.

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