Bridging the Gaps: Expanding Support for Young People and Families

This May marked one year since we launched our Strategic Framework, outlining our organisational priorities for the next five years. Looking back, it’s exciting to see the progress we’ve made, especially in our first two strategic priorities: 

1. Develop the reach and depth of our programmes 

2. Identify and address gaps in provision, opportunities, and connections 

These two priorities go hand in hand—as we continue to strengthen our existing programmes, we can better identify where the gaps are and create targeted supports where needed the most. In relation to our community-based youth work, we were able to pilot two new programmes over the past year to target groups we haven’t previously had supports and services in place for.  

Supporting Mothers: The Young Women’s Group

Young Women’s Group Meeting with local councillor Darragh Moriarty

The first of these exciting developments has been the launch of our Young Women’s Group, formed in response to the need for support among a number of young women connected to Solas Project through their children or our Liberate work.

Meeting weekly in the mornings, the group offers a space for connection, fun, and self-care. From ice skating at Christmas to a trip to Dún Laoghaire and a barista training course, the women have shared joyful moments that have helped build strong connections. But it’s not just about the activities—the group has also created space for honest conversations around the realities of motherhood in Dublin 8. In one such session, they met with local councillor Darragh Moriarty to discuss the wider changes needed in their community.

What’s emerging from this group is more than just support—it’s aspiration. For many, this space has sparked a renewed sense of personal potential and the belief that change is possible, both individually and collectively.

Barista Training with Imbibe Coffee Roasters

In the words of one participant: 

“The young women’s group gave me the push to apply for college and gave me the confidence to think that I’ll be able for it. Having a youth worker from the same area that has done the same course gives me hope that I can achieve the same as that youth worker and achieve the goals I’ve set myself.” 

Moments like these speak to the deeper impact of the group: building confidence, inspiring new paths, and quietly planting the seeds of social change—one conversation, one connection, one step at a time.

The group hosting an event for International Women’s Day at Solas Project

A New Transition Group for Young People 

Adventures with the group around the Community

The second key initiative we launched is our Transition Group for young people aged 10–13. This programme fills an important gap for those who have aged out of our After Schools programmes but aren’t yet ready to fully integrate into our broader youth work services, which support young people up to age 25.

With 12 young people currently attending twice a week, it’s a busy and energetic programme—purposefully designed to meet the unique needs of early adolescence. This stage of life brings rapid change, and the Transition Group provides consistent, positive support during a time that can often feel uncertain. 

As research reminds us, young people thrive when they have consistent, caring adults—what some describe as "lighthouses"—to help guide them. 

 “…adolescents benefit most from a parent [or caring adult] who’s a “lighthouse.” This kind of adult keeps the child in bounds whenever it’s a matter of safety or ethics, while allowing them to explore their own decision-making abilities. The role of caring adults who serve as a lighthouse can be life-changing for teens.”1 

Group Outing to Jump Zone

Given that a lighthouse represents our organisation, the analogy feels especially meaningful. The Transition Group offers both support and freedom, fun and structure—becoming a guiding light that helps young people find their way.

The programme focuses not only on fun and connection, but also on building essential life skills—like preparing food and managing time, as well as emotional and behavioural support.  

Playing music together with a Volunteer from our Peer Mentorship Programme

Young people enjoy a wide range of youth work activities, from pool and PlayStation to art and DJing, while also receiving support with homework and learning everyday tasks like making their own wraps and toasties. Outings—like a trip to Smyths to restock board games or bouncing through Jump Zone—offer both fun and valuable learning moments, giving participants the chance to practise decision-making and social skills.  

This group has already made an impact—helping young people stay engaged and supported, rather than slipping through the cracks, by building emotional regulation, self-expression, and confidence. It’s all part of laying a strong foundation for the years ahead.

Looking Ahead 

Over the past year, these new programmes have strengthened our priorities of bridging gaps and building lasting support systems. Whether through creating a safe space for mothers or ensuring young people remain connected, we are committed to evolving alongside the needs of our community. As we move forward, we remain focused on expanding opportunities and fostering strong relationships that empower individuals at every stage of life. 

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Citations:

1 Cleveland Clinic, "Adolescent Development," Cleveland Clinic, accessed June 1, 2025, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/7060-adolescent-development. 

Beyond Behaviour: The Power of Long Term Relationship Building & Relentlessness in Youth Work

By Jamin Keogh, RUA Youth Justice

Youth work is about more than addressing immediate issues, it’s about partnering with young people to reshape their futures and, in turn, the broader social landscape. As Tilsen (2018) aptly puts it, the goal is to foster "spacious conversations" that create opportunities for growth and new identities for both youth and youth workers (134). Similarly, Young (2006) emphasises that relationships are at the heart of youth work: “Personal growth, development, learning about values are human tasks that can only be done within a relationship.” (63).

When I joined Solas Project’s Liberate youth work team fresh out of university, I carried with me not just academic knowledge but lived experience. Growing up, I faced challenges like school expulsion, the heartbreak and loss of companions due to suicide, and encounters with the justice system. Despite a supportive home, that most important thing for me during those years, was spending time with my ‘friends’, and hanging out in the estates. But this in turn evolved into altercations with Garda and numerous other challenges. In my new role, I was driven by the desire to become the kind of youth worker I once needed.

Two weeks into my position at Solas Project, I met an 11-year-old facing very unstable home circumstances, which understandably made school attendance the least of his priorities. Seeking connection, this young person had gravitated towards older teens that were involved in antisocial behaviour.

I learned early on that all behaviour has meaning, and it isn’t a reflection of a young person being ‘bad’, which society often labels them as, but instead can stem from systemic exclusion and a lack of community support. When basic needs go unmet, feelings of disconnection can manifest as disengagement or acting out.

At this vulnerable age, many lack awareness of risks, making them easy targets for further antisocial behaviour, truancy, and early grooming that often parallels involvement in the drug trade. Once involved and they begin earning money, their social currency increases along with the potential of entanglement in the justice system. If all behaviour has meaning, the thing to try to collaboratively understand is; what’s the meaning?

The Role of the Youth Worker

In youth work, flexibility is key. Each young person’s needs require a tailored approach that is guided by core principles and values of the role. In this instance, I identified my role as one of prevention, and my initial aim was to build trust with this young person through consistent, light-hearted and respectful interactions. There is no quick fix or overnight turnaround; relationships like these take time to grow. I hoped that by fostering trust, I could subtly guide this young person, and to an extent his older peer group, so that if things took a turn for the worse, there would be someone there to support them in navigating the challenges.

Despite my relentless encouragement, this young person wasn’t ready to get involved with traditional youth work group activities. Our interactions were limited to sporadic moments in the community during outreach. As his offending behaviour escalated, my focus shifted from one of prevention to intervention. I set out to steer him away from the justice system, aware that formal programmes like the Youth Diversion Project might not suit his needs. It was also during this time that I recognised a particular skillset infused with a relentlessness within myself for this type of work, possibly derived from my own lived experiences. I explored this with my manager, and with their support, I transitioned to the Rua team as a Youth Justice Worker.

A Pivotal Moment

Over time, the young person unfortunately became increasingly harder to reach and months went by where I didn’t encounter him. During this time he and his peer group were bordering serious offending behaviour, that culminated in arrests and criminal charges. Through a chance encounter with the Rua team during community outreach, I was able to reconnect with him. He was happy to see me and after we caught up I met with our referral committee to determine if he would be suitable for the Rua programme. Although the programme was designed for teens aged 15 and up, the increasing number of younger individuals facing serious charges made it clear that we needed to re-evaluate. Now, aged 12, he was one of our youngest participants, and our pre-established trust allowed me to re-engage with him seamlessly.

The relationship this young person and I had built previously helped me support him through court appearances, school challenges, and interactions with probation service and Gardaí. Alongside mentoring, I would introduce restorative practices to enable him to understand the impact of his attitudes and behaviour actions and to equip him with tools to counter negative influences, while balancing this with fun and engaging activities that had initially built his trust.

Transformative Experiences

The opportunity arose to participate with an overnight camping trip. It was one of the most engaging activities we did together which became a significant turning point. Away from his urban environment, the now 14 year old had the opportunity to immerse himself in the necessities of camping, such as setting up a tent from scratch, building and maintaining a campfire, cooking his own meals, and even standing under a waterfall. Experiences like these can be monumental for a young person growing up in a marginalised community, where opportunities to experience life outside their own environment are rare. These activities not only provided practical skills, but also opened up their imaginations to a world that they never thought existed. It had also contributed to his confidence and gave him a sense of accomplishment.

During quieter moments, like gathering firewood or cleaning the campsite; our deeper, meaningful conversations took place. Youth work theorist Kerry Young (2006) emphasises the necessity of an established relationship before having those rich conversations. Activities like these create the shared space needed for engaging dialogue and the opportunity for him to ask questions without feeling embarrassed or inadequate; feelings that might otherwise have been triggered at home.

We explored his ingrained prejudices, unpacking and challenging harmful perceptions and offensive language. This gave us the chance to talk about some of his insecurities about school, where he felt so far behind he wanted to drop out. Together, we explored his options, challenging his belief that his path was fixed. As Willis (1977) notes, societal conditioning often leads young people to unconsciously accept limited opportunities. Breaking this mindset is crucial to opening up new possibilities.

Long Term Impact

On the journey home, the young person sat up front, playing his music while we continued our reflective conversations. When prompted on the highlights of this experience; he paused for a moment; and was able to name feelings of pride in being able to take on tasks that were never presented for him before, and to overcome his initial fears of the camping trip. He mentioned feeling safe. These reflections underscored the growth in his self-esteem. The young person initiated the conversation as to whether he was the youngest person that I work with.

Separate to this young person, the wider team also observed growing trends of younger individuals, from age 12 and up, becoming involved in serious offending. This sparked discussions about expanding our programme to reach a younger demographic, allowing us to collaboratively uproot problematic behaviour before they become engrained and patterns of unhealthy social ties are harder to break.

Based on the experiences of the team to date, it is evident that youth work relationships initiated with young people at an earlier stage is key to creating lasting change. Without a strong connection between a youth worker and a young person, the core goals of youth work cannot be achieved. When a young person is developmentally ready, meaningful conversations that contribute to personal growth can occur. This demonstrates Rua’s commitment to making a meaningful impact; to meeting a young person where they are at and not leaving them there.

In this case, the elongated intervention aims to collaboratively transform a young person’s trajectory. By consistently building on the trust established early on in the young person’s development, when they are instinctively navigating the chaos of their circumstances, the youth worker is there: providing steady support through difficult moments, advocating when necessary, ensuring accountability and always prioritising the needs of the young person.

While challenges remain, the progress made through Rua’s approach has set this young person on a more positive path, sharing with him the pen to rewrite his own blueprint.

Bibliography:

Tilsen, Julie. Narrative Approaches to Youth Work: Conversational Skills for a Critical Practice. Routledge, 2018.

Willis, Paul E. Learning to Labour: How Working Class Kids Get Working Class Jobs. Saxon House, 1977 

Young, K. (2006). The Art of Youth Work. 2nd ed. Lyme Regis: Russell House Publishing.

To Popeyes and Beyond: Adventures with Step Up

Our Step Up programme provides one-to-one mentorship that offers support and encouragement for young people’s personal development. Our volunteer mentors not only provide a listening ear, but also strive to help their mentees learn new skills and work towards their goals.  

During the Step Up Christmas party, some of the young people mentioned wanting to visit a Popeyes restaurant—only to discover that the closest one was in Belfast. This sparked an idea: why not turn it into a trip? With that, the planning began. 

From Idea to Itinerary 

The Step Up group met at the Solas Project offices to plan the trip together, learning valuable life skills along the way. They discussed everything that goes into organising a trip, including booking train tickets, exchanging currency, and researching activities to make the most of their visit. In addition to Popeyes, they decided to explore Belfast’s history with a visit to the Titanic Museum and a  Black Taxi Tour, which highlights key moments in the city's past. 

A Trip to Remember: 

An important lesson of trip planning is that sometimes things surprise you and expectations can change once you experience it firsthand. Here’s what some of the young people had to say:  

“When we got to Belfast, we had breakfast at Café Red—it was banging. Then we exchanged currency and walked to the Titanic Museum, taking pictures along the way. 

The Titanic Museum was mid. We were disappointed there weren’t a lot of artifacts or a tour guide, but we liked the gift shop and the cart ride. 

After Titanic, we went straight to the Black Cab Tour. The murals were good, and we learned about the walls and the gates. 

 Finally, we went to Popeyes and Sainsbury’s. Popeyes was great—we liked the chicken but didn’t like the American biscuits. Sainsbury’s was cool and cheap.” 

Step Up Mentor Nicole shared her perspective on the experience: 

“Going to Belfast with Step Up was an incredible experience. The young people did so much work in planning our travels and activities. Getting to experience the trip with them and hear their thoughts about what we learned was an awesome bonding experience. To me, it really represented what Step Up is all about.” 

More Than Just a Trip 

In the end, what started as a fun idea to try Popeyes became something much more. The young people gained hands-on experience in planning, budgeting, and decision-making, while also learning about history and strengthening their connections with mentors. 

As Youth Worker Keren puts it: 

“Although the trip started because they wanted to try Popeyes, it grew into something bigger—just like so many things in youth work. A special shoutout to the mentors for their commitment to supporting their young people and their big ideas!” 

Now that they’ve successfully planned their first trip, the group is continuing to dream big—talks of visiting Cork or even London are already underway. We can’t wait to see where their next adventure takes them!