2022

This years Topic is ‘Youth Space and Voices’

The new Comhairle committee was elected in January. February saw their first in-person meeting and allowed the new committee to start off in their new roles. The group received Podcast training from Foróige’s SoundSurfers and they are looking forward to working hard on getting their podcast up and running.

2021

Mayo Comhairle na nÓg were working on the topic of Equality in 2021.

The focus of one of their projects was on Disability Awareness. The group created a survey and promoted it online. When the results had been analysed, they produced a booklet on the findings which was launched in September. You can download the booklet below:

Mayo Comhairle Disability Awareness Survey

In July 2021, a number of the members took part in the Butter Documentary alongside the Older Persons Council and Mayo County Council. The group loved getting involved with the OPC and learned so much about making butter in the old days and the process of it now.

Mayo Comhairle na nÓg extended the invite to Comhairle members nationwide to take part in their  fitness and mental health initiative ‘Get Counting with Comhairle.’

It’s no secret that lockdown has been a difficult time for everyone, with most people being stuck indoors in front of their computers all day because of school or work. Comhairle members wanted to do something that would encourage people to get outside and get moving and in turn, take care of their mental health and shake off the lockdown blues.

Challenge Details:
Participants of the challenge were required to get outside and get moving (walking, running, rolling, it can be anything at all!) as often as they can from 15 February to 14 March and then send in how far they travelled each time via google forms

All Comhairles participating will be competing against each other for six One4All vouchers, and more importantly, to be crowned as Ireland’s Fittest Comhairle!

And in March the results were in….

Comhairle members adapting in a time of crisis

Members of Mayo Comhairle na nÓg have been very active in their communities. They wrote letters to all the elderly people who avail of the meals-on-wheels service provided by Castlebar Voluntary Social Services. The letters were delivered with the meals on 13th April. This initiative means that letters will have reached approximately 300 elderly people in Mayo. They hope to continue this partnership in the future. This has had great feedback both from local press and family members.Such a lovely gesture and heartwarming to see communities coming together to support the most vulnerable.

They also made a video to say ‘thank you’ to Ireland’s frontline workers with Foróige, Mayo Mental Health Association and Mindspace Mayo .

They have been meeting weekly online and have created a video which was shared on social media highlighting what things the members were getting up to during the lockdown.

Comhairle members are also working on updating their guide to using smart phones for older people. Not only that, the group have been running a campaign of positive online posts and factual information for young people on their social media pages. They have been running weekly ‘Kids Challenges’ on Facebook including Art/ craft/ Lego.  They have also been creating weekly tutorials for children and young people.

2020
Mayo Comhairle na nÓg  focused their attentions on the issue of Climate Change in 2020.


2019
Mayo Comhairle are focusing on the topics of Inclusion, Community Involvement and Road safety in 2019. They have compiled a memory book of Mayo people’s love of Mayo and on 26th April, Mayo Older People’s Council (OPC) and the Comhairle na nÓg held an intergenerational skills-sharing day. The day focused on different skills which were taught by the two generations. Comhairle members taught the OPC all the features of a phone, how to use them and they answered any question they might have. They also organized time for the OPC to learn how to use a PlayStation. In the afternoon, the OPC taught our members skills such as Arts & Crafts, Baking, Knitting and Card Playing. It was a thoroughly successful day enjoyed by both groups.

Mayo Tusla Youth Advisory group which is a partnership between Foroige and Tusla and includes members of Mayo Comhairle na nÓg conducted research with young people from across Mayo. They were trained by the UNESCO Child and Research Centre in NUI Galway to become Youth Researchers. You can view the video of their findings below.

Mayo Comhairle are also undertaking a project with the road safety officer in mayo county council on mobile phone use and are mid-way through a period-poverty campaign. They’re collecting sanitary products to donate to the local woman’s shelter.

Here’s Kelley talking about their ongoing projects at the Comhairle Members Regional Networking Events.

2018

Mayo Comhairle held an event in 2018 called “Comhairle Talks” with 6 guest speakers on the topic of Equality from their perspective. Ibrahim Halawa was one of the speakers. They held a day event with 600 secondary schools students in attendance and an evening event with 300 in attendance. Here is the promo video:

Mayo Comhairle’s primary topic for 2017 was mental health. We focused on promoting the services that are available to young people in relation to mental health and produced a short video to break down the myths and stereotypes that exist about certain services.

In 2016 Mayo Comhairle continued their work on the development of a student discount card for young people in the county.

We also focused on Student Council Training: Comhairle members provided student councils throughout the county with peer-led training.

In July 2016 we hosted our second annual colour-run (see pics below) which took place at Lough Lannagh on July 8th. The colour-run had a special 1916 theme this year: commemorating the children who died in the 1916 Rising.

Mayo Comhairle na nÓg  focused on three key topics in 2015: the development of a Student Discount card, Road Safety and Mental Health. We organised a series of campaigns to increase awareness of these issues.

In keeping with the mental health theme, we recently hosted our #LetsGoMental2015 event on 27th July. This was one of the 31 regional events, forming part of the national ‘Lets Go Mental: do something for your mental health today‘ campaign. Here is the link to our event page:

Let’s Go Mental: Mayo 27.07.2015

Mayo Comhairle na nÓg has been busily working on a positive Mental Health campaign since 2013. As part of the campaign, the group wrote, produced and recorded a song and video entitled New Shoes. The song lyrics focus on the importance of embracing the positives in life, and discarding the troubles that hold you back. The song was officially launched in Castlebar at a musical event entitled a Mental Night of Music where nine of the brightest and most talented musicians in Mayo performed the songs and music that have inspired them throughout their lives.

In 2012 Mayo Comhairle na nÓg made a short film called Behind my Smile offering advice and guidance to young people on how to deal with potentially stressful situations – see link below. The film, distributed on DVD to all local schools and youth services in Mayo, acts as a useful resource for students, teachers and youth workers in the county when dealing with youth mental health matters.

http://vimeo.com/51270163