'This place changed my life when I was 15'

Youthreach Kiltimagh is thirty years old. To celebrate the occasion, Maria Walsh MEP performed the official opening of a new wellness garden at the school at a ceremony on a sun-drenched Friday, April 11th. A tree was also planted in the school grounds by Gerry Griffin of the Department of Education.

Speaking at the event, MEP Walsh said she has had the pleasure of visiting Youthreach on several occasions and was delighted to be invited to officially open the garden.

“Firstly, I’d like to wish Youthreach a very happy 30th birthday! And I want to acknowledge the journey that Youthreach has been on and that I had that opportunity to see it, as the visionaries were laying it out, and I got to see it first hand and it's great to be back.” 

Ms Walsh spoke of the importance of taking care of mental health. She said there was a lot of pressure on young people today to look and behave in certain ways and that some young people dropped out of the mainstream education system for a variety of reasons.

“Every one of us has been impacted in some shape or form through the loss of somebody, through the trials and tribulations of our own experiences,” Ms Walsh told the gathering. “And that for me is the essence and the importance of today, bringing us all together.

“Highlighting the fact that we all have mental health, we all need to protect it and lean on each other when we need it the most. And use the spaces that Youthreach Kiltimagh has very kindly created here for students and teachers, and no doubt the wider community.

“We've cut the ribbon, the tree has been planted and now I can say the garden is officially opened, but it's opened on these conditions.

“It's opened on the commitment that we collectively believe in mental health support for young people. It's on the commitment we believe in wellness and mindfulness as an everyday tool. It is on the commitment that we believe in the fierce, fearless creativity of our next generation. And we will not let these just be buzzwords or talking points. We will build them into the soil of our town, literally and figuratively.

“And we want every young person in Mayo and the wider fields who walks through this garden, through this school, through this education point, through this next adventure or second chance, we want them to know that you are seen, you are heard and you are most valued. This is your space. This is your time. And this is just the beginning.” 

Amongst the speakers was a past pupil, Amanda Beca, who said it felt amazing to be back at Youthreach.

“This is a place that changed my life when I was 15,” Ms Beca said. “Coming back as a past pupil is a bit surreal. I still remember my first day walking through those doors, unsure of myself, not knowing where I was headed or what I was capable of. But this place, the staff, the support, the opportunities, just like Juncture, helped me believe in myself and see a future that I didn't think was possible before.” 

Ms Beca said Youthreach wasn't just about education for her, adding that it was about personal growth, confidence, and discovering her potential.

“I was surrounded by people who genuinely cared, who never gave up on me and who pushed me to keep going, even when things felt tough,” she said. “Since leaving here, I've gone on to study Applied Social Studies with Psychology at ATU [Atlantic Technological University]; something I would have never imagined for myself a few years ago. It's a course that's opened my eyes to see how we can help others, how society works, and how important mental health and support systems are, things I first learned starting here at YouthReach.

“And one of the most exciting parts of my journey so far was getting the chance to go on Erasmus to Portugal. That experience was unforgettable. I got to explore a new culture, gain independence, meet new people from different countries, and most importantly, grow as a person. It was one of those, ‘Wow, I'm really doing this’ kind of moments. And it reminded me of how far I've come.

“If there's one thing I want to say to those of you who are new here, it's to don't underestimate yourself. You might not see the path clearly yet, but trust me, with hard work, support, and belief in yourself, you can go far. This place is the first step, and it's a powerful one. Thank you to everyone at YouthReach for giving me the foundation that I needed. I'm proud to be a past pupil, and I'll always carry what I've learned here with me.” 

Gerry Griffin coordinates and supports Youthreach nationally for the Department of Education.

“Today is more about a celebration of the fantastic work that Youthreach does with the young people in terms of giving them a future and allowing them to progress within the education system,” Mr Griffin told the Western People. “There are 107 Youthreach centres across the country dealing with young people who leave school early. And people leave school early now for multi-faceted reasons. 

"The young people who go to Youthreach now are wanting qualifications, they're wanting equality with their cohorts in mainstream education. They want to progress and achieve and get awards, and then go on to do a variety of courses and also seek opportunities within the labour market. 

"YouthReach is catering for these young people that school didn't really work for. Recent research showed that 70% of young people who attend YouthReach go on to a PLC college afterwards. So there's great progression routes for young people who avail of YouthReach as a second chance education opportunity.” 

Independent Cllr Richard Finn told the Western People that he was in attendance for two reasons.

“I'm a board member of the Mayo Sligo Leitrim Educational Training Board (MSLETB), and I'm proud to be here because I taught here in this school between 1987 and '97. The school was amalgamated with the St Louis Secondary School down the road, and I taught there. It was great to see this school taken under the auspices of Mayo Vocational Education Committee, at the time, and was then taken over by Youthreach. 

"Youthreach had much to offer. It started off in a very weak circumstance but it was built up by County Mayo VEC down through the years and then when MSLETB took over we brought it to the stage that it's at now. 

"It is a fantastic facility and I must say coming on site today, and everything, it's a totally rejuvenated place and there are parts of this ground that I never saw in my 10 years teaching here. And it's great to see the amount of people who have done so very well out of here, down through the years, in relation to apprenticeships, in relation to fine jobs that they've got. Some of them are self-employed, and it's great to meet them and see them. Everywhere you go the work of the MSLETB is to be seen.” 

Other speakers also praised the work of Youthreach, and in particular the leadership of Ms Geraldine Doherty, who is leaving the post of acting coordinator at the end of the current school year.

Minister of State Alan Dillon and Fine Gael TD Keira Keogh also attended the event.