Athlone youth café, Youth Booth Café is looking for volunteers who would be willing to spare one and a half hours a week to tutor secondary school students in subjects including maths, Irish, and English, or those who would be interested in taking part in one of the various youth programmes.
With thanks to the Athlone Community Taskforce, the Gateway Project has helped to establish the Youth Booth Café in St Mary’s Hall, Northgate Street, Athlone. The objective of the Gateway Project is “to encourage young people to complete their education and join the working world with ability and confidence”, making it a welcome boost to the Athlone area.
Since January, the café has seen the introduction of a coffee shop, which gives teenagers a place to hang out and relax while listening to live music, enjoying a game of pool, and playing games on either the Xbox or Wii. In addition, regular movie nights and discos also help to entice young people to take part in the evening entertainment.
Geraldine Martin, chief organiser of the café, explained the structure of the youth committee, which is run by young people and “set up to identify the needs of young people and report back with suggestions”. These suggestions help to improve the running of the café and in planning events.
The Youth Café is open every Friday, from 4-6pm for first and second year students and from 7-9pm for third to sixth year students. If you would like more information about getting involved or about the evenings, contact Geraldine at (086 ) 7234088, Brigid at (086 ) 0279149, or Delores at (086 ) 0209181.
