Attic group on US trip
Pictured at Ground Zero were members with leaders, Mona Considine, Joe Quinn, Ruth McGarry Quinn and Stephen Farrell.
The Attic Youth Café recently embarked on a life changing leadership journey to New York City as part of their leadership course with the youth café. Ten members and four leaders travelled to New York in early June to visit All Hallows CBS in the Bronx. All Hallows CBS was the first Christian Brothers’ School to be established in America.
The Attic members were welcomed to the school by Mr Sean O’ Sullivan, principal of All Hallows, and were invited to meet pupils and impart their leadership skills to their American peers. As part of the trip the members visited many tourist sites including the Statue of Liberty and the newly developed ground zero.
The members of the Attic were selected through interview in October 2011 to take part in the trip. Each member had to use their leadership skills and abilities to raise money to travel to New York. This was no easy task as the trip would cost €14,000. The members met weekly and organised many fund-raising initiatives such as carol singing, discos, table quizzes, Golf Classics, Theatre nights, and street collections. After many months the young people achieved their goal and were able to travel.
Speaking to the Leader Ruth McGarry Quinn, Volunteer Leader wished to thank all the young people involved in the programme for their hard work to achieve their goal which was not an easy task in the present climate. The skills the young people gained through the programme will be invaluable to them in the future she added.
Jim Maher Regional Youth Officer who was unable to take part in the trip at the eleventh hour due to illness thanked the parents of the young people involved as they supported the programme throughout the year, supporting events and helping organise the fundraising initiatives.
“The young people’s experience will live with them for the rest of their lives and without the support of the dedicated volunteers involved in the Attic this trip would not have been possible. Where else would young people get an opportunity to travel together to America only the Attic Youth Café facilitated it?” he added.
This was the first international leadership exchange programme to America and the Attic were delighted to be part of it. Students from All Hallows will travel to Ireland this week to NUI Maynooth to continue their leadership programme. Attic member Ciara Fallon will also take part in the weeklong conference representing the young people of Longford.
The Attic would like to thank everyone who donated money to the programme and all those who supported events and a special thank you to Backstage Theatre and the Backstage Theatre Group who supported the initiative donating proceeds from the last one standing game show and the spring production of “Many Young men of Twenty”.
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Sunday 19 May 2013
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