Paddy looking forward to challenge ahead

TACKLING anti-social behaviour is top of the agenda for Strabane’s newest youth worker.

Paddy McColgan (24) has recently taken up a new role as youth support worker-in-charge. Based out of Fountain Street Community Development Association he will be working directly with young people to help develop their social education and personal development by providing a series of programmes and activities.

A Strabane man through and through Paddy grew up in Lisnafin Park and attended St Mary’s Boys Primary School and Holy Cross College before he completed a Certificate in Community Youth Studies at the University of Ulster.

The projects Paddy is already working on in his new role are aimed at all young people within the Strabane Neighbourhood Renewal Area, aged between 10- 18-years-old. He is hopeful they will encourage young people to avoid participating in anti-social behaviour.

Paddy explained, “I’m well aware of the ongoing issues surrounding the anti-social behaviour at the ramp, steps, the new bridge, along the waterwall and in other areas within the town.

“This has been a generational issue that has been ongoing for many years.

“With the Youth Service currently stood down in terms of face-to-face interaction engaging with these young people at the minute can prove challenging for us.

“However, when the restrictions are eased, I will be committed to working in partnership with other agencies within the area to engage with these young people to see what support and guidance we can offer them.

“Examples of this could be projects highlighting drugs and alcohol awareness, water safety, anti-social behaviour and the danger of being involved in risk-taking behaviour.

“Alternatively offering programmes of activities the young people can engage in before resorting to this kind of behaviours is vitally important. This will include things such as opening a youth drop-in centre where they can come and hang out with friends in a safe environment,” said Paddy.

When restrictions lift it is intended that programmes will be held through four evening sessions, most likely based in Fountain Street and two day time sessions which will be carried out though school projects either in Holy Cross College or Strabane Academy.

Looking forward to the challenges ahead Paddy explained, “So far, the job has been going well. Current restrictions means all face-to-face youth work provisions have been stood down with only online work continuing. This has given me the opportunity to start to plan out my work for the financial year ahead.

“In doing so I have developed an online eight-week project which will be delivered though Zoom and will look at introducing the young people to film making while exploring their identity.

“Some of the other outcomes I am hoping to achieve are improving participation amongst young people with the provisions provided to them within the area, while also providing them with the same opportunities I was provided when I was a young person growing up in the town.

“I will also  recruit and train up a group of young volunteers/ youth leaders, to support me in the delivering of any projects, and help to develop youth drop-ins and  summer schemes,” said Paddy.