Local youth vie for Gerry McIntyre award

The Londonderry Youth Service team will host the Area Presentation Evening at the community service at 7pm.

Young people from WELB Youth Service projects across the city will be presented with certificates for courses they have undertaken in the last year. One outstanding young person will also be presented with the prestigious "Gerry McIntyre Award."

This award was presented last year for the first time in memory of Gerry who had been a member of the city Youth Service team for thirty years and whose premature death left a void in many lives.

The present team marked his wholehearted contribution to the development of youth work in the city over these years with the memorial award.

WELB Senior Youth Worker Anna Bryant explained: "It is great holding an event like this when we can celebrate the achievements young people have made, challenging the popular negative stereotype of them.

"It also shows the vast range of programmes and courses that are being delivered at our youth projects across the city."

Some of the courses young people have undertaken include; OCN Level 2 Participation Skills, OCN Level 2 Young Adult Development, OCN Level 1 Alcohol Awareness, XL Programme, GLAD and Cook it Programme.

Area Youth officer, Mary Mc Garrigle commended all the efforts and the commitment of the young people involved and felt that it was very appropriate that their work was marked in this way.

She said: "Every one of the 300 certificates awarded tonight was the result of attendance at a minimum of four workshops on a specific theme and at the other end of the scale we have members who have just completed two years work which has gained for them 2 GCSE's. I heartily congratulate all involved."