Targeted Response with Youth (TRY) joins Solas Project

Solas Project is pleased to announce the addition of the TRY (Targeted Response with Youth) Project to our organisation.

Targeted Response with Youth (TRY) is a peer - mentoring project based in Dublin's south inner city, which targets young people involved in or at risk of becoming involved in the drug economy and antisocial behaviour.

The TRY Project was started as part of the St. Teresa’s Gardens Regeneration in 2017, initially on a small pilot basis targeting a group of young men who were engaged in public drug dealing in the flats complex. The project was hosted by Donore Community Drug and Alcohol Team (DCDAT) and overseen by a volunteer steering group.  

In 2021, the geographical reach of TRY was expanded to include Oliver Bond and TRYs key funding was moved to the Department of Justice. This meant that TRY could no longer remain part of DCDAT. After exploring the possibility of becoming an independent entity, the TRY steering committee approached Solas Project to see if they we would assume the Governance remit of TRY under our organisational structure.

The young person centred approach of TRY fits well with the vision and values and Solas Project and we share the same ethos of never giving up on young people. The leadership of Solas Project saw the value the skills and specific skillset of the TRY team would bring to our organisation and most importantly to the young people in our community.

In February 2022, after a period of discussions and a formal transfer of undertakings process the three TRY employees joined Solas Project. TRY have come in as part of our larger Justice Team while retaining their unique identity.

We have developed a Joint Project Committee for the Rua and TRY programmes and are delighted to have some of the TRY steering group members join this group, alongside the Gardai and other experts in the field.

Our focus in now on re-establishing and developing the important work of TRY in both Donore Avenue and Oliver Bond. We look forward to the continued, and growing success of this programme.