Young people from YMCA Dublin showcase ‘Summer at the Y’

YMCA Dublin aims to provide activities in a fun and safe environment for young people to enjoy during the summer break.

Following a busy summer filled with activities, youths from YMCA Dublin showcased their Youth Spaces & Childcare ‘Summer at the Y’ combined projects last week, drawing a close to YMCA Dublin’s successful summer programme of events

The participants, aged up to 18 and from all over Dublin city, spent five weeks of the summer learning new skills by completing a variety of activities with Summer at the Y, including artwork and photography projects, which were celebrated at the YMCA hub this week by their parents, guardians and members of the community.

Kathryn O’Mahony, CEO of YMCA Dublin, said: “During the summer in particular, we aim to provide activities in a fun and safe environment at YMCA Dublin for our young people to enjoy.

“Our Youth Spaces and Childcare teams continue our collaborative work throughout the summer break by providing a combined Summer Project and organising activities for our youths to enjoy and learn new skills.”

Summer at the Y activities are catered to both primary school and secondary school age groups. Primary school aged children enjoyed trips like alpaca trekking, aquazone, causey farm and baysports, while secondary activities included activities like a day trip to Belfast, combat archery and footgolf.

Grace Burke, Youth Work Coordinator with YMCA Dublin, said: “With Summer at the Y, we want to ensure that our youths are engaged and active, particularly during the summer months.

“This year, we had almost twice as many students as last year take part, and we also hosted a Community Day each Wednesday, where anyone from the community was welcome to attend various events, from singing, painting and clay making, to picnics, scavenger hunts and fitness classes.

“It is brilliant to see these young people grow and learn new skills throughout the summer, while enjoying themselves and building friendships.”