Local Champions 

About the Opportunity

We are recruiting new “Local Champions”, young people who have benefited from youth work who will receive specialist training to become campaigners for youth work funding in 2025!

Who?

18–29-year-olds who have experience with youth work (either as a young person or a volunteer).

What?

NYCI will deliver a tailored training programme across the year for successful applicants, including an in-person training session on Sat 22nd March in Dublin, online evening workshops in Apr/May, and continuous support to empower young people to act as youth work advocates in their communities.

From there Local Champions will use the skills they have learned to lobby their local TDs (politicians) and bring the impact of youth work home to their elected representatives.

How will ‘Local Champions’ benefit?

Through training and ongoing support, Local Champions will learn about:

  • The Irish political system
  • How to work with and influence politicians.
  • How to work together to make change

This programme will give young people practical opportunities to

  • get first-hand experience of the Irish political system;
  • learn the importance of local politics and local action;
  • develop valuable communication and persuasion skills;
  • meet other like-minded young people and;
  • give voice to their experience of youth work in support of the Youth Work Changes Lives campaign.

What will Local Champions do?

  • Local Champions will attend an intensive in-person training day in Dublin and receive tailored online evening workshops in April/May to develop their advocacy skills.
  • This will prepare participants to organise and host meetings in their own constituencies with their local politicians, to campaign for youth work with their local political representatives
  • Attend online ‘check in’ meetings to support lobbying efforts.
  • Spread the word on and offline and show others the value of youth work in whatever other creative ways you feel inspired to do after our trainings!

NYCI will cover all transport costs associated with participating in the project

This project is kindly funded by the Community Foundation Ireland.

Application process

  • This programme is for 18–29-year-olds who have experience with youth work (either as a young person or a volunteer). Participants will apply through the form below and will receive a phone call from NYCI staff in the following weeks for an informal phone interview (5-10 mins). Final successful participants will then be notified by email.

Apply to become a local advocate using the form below. This will be a competitive process and NYCI is inviting applications from young people up to 14th February 2025.

If you have any questions in the meantime, don’t hesitate to contact grace@nyci.ie

Application does not guarantee participation in this initiative. Successful applicants will be contacted for the next stage of the process.

NYCI’s Local Champions have a collective contract that all participants will be given a copy of and expected to adhere to throughout this project. This is to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all participants.

Apply for the Local Champions initiative now!