Tusla awards honour Dublin Northside services that give young people a voice 

The second annual Tusla Child and Youth Participation Awards took place in the Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield, Dublin last week on Friday, November 29.  

The awards recognised services and projects that support children to have their voices heard when it comes to decisions that affect them. 

More than 200 young people and adults attended the awards ceremony and 29 services from across the country, including five Sligo based projects, were celebrated for their commitment to listening to the voices of children and young people.

Tusla partners with Gaisce, the Children’s Rights Alliance, the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman, Hub na nÓg, and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth for the awards. 

Under Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), all children have a right to have their voice heard in any decision that affects them.

Among the winners today were County Councils, youth clubs, training centres and Montessori schools, and each service was represented by the children and young people who contributed to projects that ensured that this right is upheld for those who use their service. 

Keeping with the theme of participation, the ceremony was hosted by Cezy Focsa, a young person who has a track record of advocating for the rights of young people and accessibility for disabled people in Kilkenny.

Awards were presented by Kate Duggan, CEO of Tusla; Kevin McCarthy, Secretary General of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Bernie Laverty, National Project Manager, Area Based Childhood Programme; Avril Ryan, CEO of Gaisce, and Dr Niall Muldoon, Ombudsman for Children. 

The awards were presented for all manner of initiatives and services, including Barnardos TLC Kidz Project which supported children who engaged with the service to create care packs for other young people who have experienced domestic violence in the home, and Ossory Youth Service, who hold two spaces on their board of directors for young people, giving them a direct influence on decision making. 

Dublin Northside services celebrated three awards including Dublin North City’s Aftercare and Foster Care services ‘Care Day Football Blitz’, which was a day of celebration to mark Care Day on Friday February 16th, 2024.

Young people in aftercare, in conjunction with Tusla Aftercare Dublin North City, put together this celebratory day of football matches in Technological University (TU) Dublin, Grangegorman, with teams from Tusla, Don Bosco Care, Sport Against Racism Ireland, Crosscare and TU Dublin.

Also present were former Irish International Keith Treacy and former football manager and author Roddy Collins, Bohemian’s F.C and the Ombudsman for Children.

The day brought together a variety of young people with care and aftercare experiences to build positive relationships amongst peers and professionals and explore the option of higher education.  

The second Dublin Northside based project to win an award was the Student Council of St. Eithne’s Girls National School in Edenmore, Dublin 5.

The Council is comprised of 11- and 12-year-old students in fifth and sixth class and meets once monthly to discuss ideas, suggestions, or changes that their fellow pupils have proposed. Giving a voice for all students, the Council has over the years various achieved a number of goals to enhance the school grounds, improve student satisfaction and wellbeing, and raise funds. 

Last but not least, the Daughters of Charity based in Lisdeel Family Centre in Santry were awarded a prize for their efforts to include the voices of the 53 young children they care for through a survey the children themselves developed.

The survey sought to understand the children’s likes, dislikes and desires for change, and the child-led activity included a feedback process that led to the suggestions being implemented by the service.

Lisdeel Family Centre (DOC) is a not-for-profit voluntary organisation who provides support to children up to 18 years of age and to their parents and guardians. 

Speaking at the Child and Youth Participation Awards, Kate Duggan, CEO, Tusla, said: “The Child and Youth Participation Awards are vital in promoting child and youth participation in services across Ireland.

“These awards really demonstrate the importance of participation, where children and young people have a voice in decisions that affect them, where they are actively listened to and where they know that what they say has an impact or can lead to change. 

“Hearing the detail of some of these projects is something that really inspires me as CEO and serves as a reminder to us all why we do the work we do.

“On behalf of Tusla, I would like to congratulate all of those who are nominated today for their excellent and innovative work.” 

Dr Niall Muldoon, Ombudsman for Children, said: “The Ombudsman for Children’s Office is delighted to be involved in these Awards for the second year running. We want to thank Tusla for hosting these awards, and the volunteers and the children involved. From our point of view, children’s voices being heard is so important, and it is a crucial part of democracy. These awards today are a great way to achieve this.” 

Avril Ryan, CEO, Gaisce – The President’s Award, said: “At Gaisce, we believe deeply in youth empowerment through Gaisce Award participation for young people aged 14-25.

“This partnership with Tusla, the Ombudsman for Children, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and the Children’s Rights Alliance is a testament to our shared commitment to placing young people at the heart of what we do by recognising the opportunities so many organisations provide for young people to flourish and be heard. Congratulations to all of Child and Youth Participation Awardees who make child and youth participation a priority with exemplary, inclusive, and meaningful actions.”