A new Youth cafe in Irishtown could be the template to opening more in the city.
RICCY’s was set up to support young people living in the area and gives them a space to chill out and relax.
They talk about the issues that affect them including mental health and drug awareness plus learn a number of new life skills including time management and group work.
Youth worker Daniel Rowette says they also teach them how to cook with one lesson on soup making becoming an eye opener for many there.
“We said to one of the groups they wanted to make home-made soup and the following week they came in and one of the young people there didn’t know what the activity for that day was. We told him we’re making home-made soup. He said that’s easy, anyone can make home-made soup. And we’re like, How do you make it?”
“He said you just boil the kettle, pour the packet into the cup and you pour in the water. So the idea that soup, they didn’t know that it comes from certain vegetables and you put different vegetables in to make whatever flavour you want. So that was completely new to some of them”.
“It’s basically building their capacity through informal learning. The activities themselves are just what we use to engage young people but it’s through conversations with those young people that the work is really done.”
Lorraine Barry is manager of the Ringsend and Irishtown Community Centre – who set up the cafe – she says it’s the first of its kind in Dublin and she believes could help set up more around the city.
“The young people had a big input even into the design of the furniture and the way the cafe is laid out. It’s very different, young people then get the opportunity to come in and express their independence.
The cafe has been in operation since November but is officially being opened by Children’s Minister Dr. James Reilly later this evening.
