DEFINITION:

A type of community club for local youth that creates, provides, funds and organizes a range of activities for the local youth working in partnership with local businesses, companies, enterprises, organizations and local unity government for a range of innovative purposes.

The children have a youth club to have a place to go to socialize and do activities together.

WHY ESTABLISH YOUTH CLUB IN YOUR COMMUNITY?

Participation in a youth club has many advantages for the youth themselves, as well as for the entire community. Of course, the most obvious advantage of membership is that youth Clubs provide young people a forum to fully, effectively deal with an issue that is especially important to them, such as youth violence or education. However, there are a lot of other advantages to youth groups. We list some of these advantages below.

ADVANTAGES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE:

• Being part of a group can help young people develop important personal and interpersonal skills. These include the ability to think critically and solve problems, and the assumption of personal and group responsibility.
• It can also help young people gain self-confidence and self-esteem. Contributing to a group can help them see themselves as being able to really help other people, and having something important to offer.
• It can help reduce the risk of becoming involved in unsafe activities, such as using drugs and alcohol. Being involved in community activities has been shown to be a protective factor--that is, it helps young people to make healthy choices. That's because by being involved in an organization, they can develop a "safe" identity, and are less likely to participate in unsafe activities (such as becoming sexually active before they are ready) to feel they belong.
• Young people involved in organizations can develop job skills, including organization, the ability to run meetings, and experience working with a wide variety of people. These skills that young people learn from being part of a group can help them be better prepared for any job they might choose.
• Often, organizations give youth a "safe space" that they wouldn't have otherwise--a place where they can express themselves through arts and activities, or just by being able to talk openly with peers and caring adults.
• Youth organizations offer opportunities for leadership that young people might not get otherwise.
• Young people involved in organizations can receive information on staying safe and healthy from their peers or adults they know and respect. They then pass on this information to other young people. In this way, youth organizations offer a credible way for young people to learn about staying healthy, because they can learn about it from friends they admire, rather than adults or other outsiders whose opinions they might not value.
• Young people can develop a strong support network of other young people who make healthy choices, and who can help convince them to stay healthy, too.

ADVANTAGES FOR THE COMMUNITY:

• Youth organizations can help change public perception of young people from being "the problem" to an important part of making life better in the community.
• Involving young people in the community helps them see themselves as part of the whole; they really do become less likely to cause problems and more likely to want to look for solutions.
• By involving young people, the community is allowing them to carefully develop their leadership potential, so that as they grow and learn they can become thoughtful, prepared leaders of the society.
• Other community organizations can often partner with youth organizations, to mutual benefit. Young people can bring a tremendous amount of life to an organization; often, their energy, enthusiasm, creativity, and perspective are invaluable to members of larger community initiatives that choose to actively involve them.

How to set up your Club?

If there are no youth groups in your area you might want to consider starting your own. Although this will be a lot of work, if you are dedicated to starting the group it can be a rewarding experience for both you and other young people in your community. The most straightforward route to set up a youth group is to work with an already established youth organization or youth worker who will have previous experience. You can set up a youth group completely on your own but this will take a lot more work and organization. 

Questions to ask yourself before starting a youth group 

If you are thinking of starting a youth group there are some questions you should ask yourself first:

• What type of group do I want to set up?
• Are there young people in my area who will be interested in joining the group?
• Are there adults in my area who will be willing to volunteer in the group?
• Is there a suitable premises where the group could meet in my local area?
• Would there be people in my local community willing to support the group such as Gardaí, teachers or parents?
• Will the group be able to raise enough money to cover things like insurance, equipment, expenses?
• Are there local youth services near you that could give support, guidance and training?

Starting up a youth group with BIWEKSHIL YOUTH CLUB

If you are aged between 12 and 18 and are looking to start a youth group in your local area, you can get in touch with Biwekshil to discuss what your options are. You can contact your local Biwekshil  Youth Club and speak to them about how to start a  club in your community, or you can complete this. For contact details of your Youth club officer or Facebook group.(Biwekshil Youth Club)

Biwekshil Youth Club are also present Districtwide  and can help you set up a local youth group. They have biwekshil offices across the City which can support you, and are key people to contact in the early stages of setting up your group. At the moment.

Setting up your own youth group in your community 

Setting up your own independent group is a lengthy process, but can be very rewarding. If you are determined to set up your own group, there are several steps you need to follow. You should start by asking yourself a couple of questions – for example, are there enough potential members? Are there enough volunteers to help run the group or are there any other clubs of this kind in the surrounding areas?

Once you want to go ahead with your plans, there are a few things that need to be decided:

Club structure

You need to decide on a legal structure for the club. The simplest type is an unassociated corporation. You do not need to register an unincorporated association and it costs nothing to set one up. This does mean that all costs (for renting a premises etc.) and contracts are your responsibility.

If your club is a non-profit organization, you do not need to worry about taxes. However, insurance is mandatory to have, which is easier and cheaper to get when you are affiliated with places like biwekshil

Club name

You need to think of a name for your club in case any formal documents are needed. Make sure no other club has the same name.

Club constitution

The club constitution is a written document which states the rules and structures which the club will follow. It outlines what the club will do, and rules for membership, meetings and committees. It will be needed if you are applying anywhere for funding.

Club officials

A club needs three official members (minimum) to run the club. You must have:

• Chairperson
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Other 6 Members

These are elected jobs and they make up

committee of the club. You can also have other members of the committee laid out in your constitution, for example, a Fundraising Officer is common to have in a non-profit organization. The rest of the club members may be made up of volunteers to help with different jobs.

AGM (Annual General Meeting)

An AGM is held every year to vote on who will be on the committee. All members get a say in how the club is run at this meeting.

Committee meetings

The club committee are fully responsible for how the club is managed on a daily basis. If you want a club to run smoothly, it is a good idea to have a committee formed early and have roles clearly laid out for the different members of the committee. By doing so, everyone knows their jobs and the workload is spread evenly.

Need more information?

We are here to answer your questions and talk through your options. 

Messages on it 

IN SUMMARY

Youth organizations can offer terrific benefits to local young people and the community at large. They can have a tremendous impact on the lives of youth. Whether you are a young person yourself, or simply someone concerned about your community, we encourage you to explore the creation of a youth organization in your community today.

                                                           Biwekshil Youth Club