2022

Waterford Comhairle na nÓg will be working on the topic of Sexual Health Education and Wellbeing this year. The group have already begun discussing the issues and identifying gaps in the programs taught in schools. Ongoing work from last year’s topic, Climate Action, resulted in a collaborative project with WIT, Waterford City & County Council, Waterford Lions Club and local business to plant over 2000 trees in a local community. The project is Neighourwood and will commence on 4th March with trees donated by Coillte.

2021

Waterford Comhairle na nÓg were focusing on the topic of Climate Change and the Natural Environment in 2021.

This short video is the results of a collaboration between Waterford Comhairle na nÓg, Waterford & South Tipperary Community Youth Service and Waterford Institute of Technology

Waterford Comhairle na nÓg started the first phase of their Environmental Project in March, developing a Native Irish Tree Trail at WIT Arena in collaboration with the students of WIT Forestry Department, which will be an educational resource for young people from all across Waterford City and County for the next 100 years. The group have planted 1500 beautiful native Irish trees (with lovely names such as Purging Buckthorn, Witch’s Elm, and Whitebeam) at the entrance to the Greenway Carpark on the outskirts of Waterford city. Over the next few years, they’ll be developing a 1km Labyrinth Trail and a Fairy World, as well as putting up some beautiful signage explaining the origins, myths and folklore that has evolved around each of the 26 separate types of tree.

They will continue to develop their environmental app CommuniTree and have developed a webpage to accompany it with all the information you need to know about their project. Read more here

Comhairle members respond to Covid crisis

United Together, Staying Apart… Collaborative creativity in a time of crisis. Comhairle members from Cork City, Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford came together to make this brilliant and informative video about the importance of social distancing in combating the Covid virus.

2020
Waterford Comhairle na nÓg focused their work on the very topical issue of Climate Change in 2020. The group are created an environmental app in relation to Climate Change – Communitree – it will be launched in 2021 

2019
Waterford Comhairle have been working on the the topic of mental health. They created a video on mental health and its link with substance abuse.

2018

Waterford Comhairle worked on a Project entitled ‘Homelessness in Waterford’ for 2018 and researched the topic in a number of ways:

  • Desk research around the topic. We’ve been in contact with the Housing agencies (Focus, Threshold) and the local service providers and have received a significant amount of facts and figures that we’re using.
  • Looking at the stories and seeing the human face of homelessness:

The members set up interviews with homeless people –

  1. Interview with a young couch surfer who was asked to leave home and has nowhere to go
  2. interview with a local man who lives in the Homeless shelter
  • Meeting with the Waterford County Council Housing Department (set up through local Councillors on our Steering Committee) to find out what actually happens when a person or a family presents as homeless.
  • Looking at current facilities:

A delegation of 3 young people met with the manager of the local homeless hostel, and he showed the young people around, meeting with homeless men and boys from Waterford.

  • Examining the National Dimension:

A delegation of 5 young people met with Waterford Senator Grace O Sullivan in Leinster House to discuss Homelessness from a national perspective.

Work already completed

Waterford Comhairle’s main topic for 2017 was challenging stereotypes. Our goal: to challenge all stereotypes by promoting acceptance and empathy. To promote self-confidence and to feel happy with who you are. Our campaign name is: “No fear of the other”. The project was based on the topic of challenging stereotypes. We decided to make a video discussing stereotypes and the impact on the people who are stereotype. We for storys of young people from all around Waterford who had been sterytyped. The video was titled ‘No fear of the other’ in reference to the fear that people have to others

Waterford Comhairle na nOg had previously worked on the theme of ‘Active Citizenship’.  We engaged in this theme in a number of ways.

  • Teen Space – a website for young people by young people.  http://www.teenspacewaterford.ie – launched in October 2016. Teen Space Waterford is an online information hub for young people aged 12– 17. The hub has a range of localised information on topics such as health, education, social issues, and much more.
  • 50k cycle as part of the Sean Kelly Tour in collaboration with Waterford Sports Partnership
  • Waterford Day – providing a space for young people to connect to their sense of Citizenship. Activities on the day included an art wall, origami, music, a ‘food for thought’ table and more.
  • Volunteering with local initiatives including The West Waterford Food Festival, 3 Sisters Bid Activities, SPRAOI, National Play Day & Donal O’ Connor Memorial Cycle
  • Let’s Go Mental 2015 – positive mental health campaign for young people

Waterford Comhairle focused on the topic of substance misuse and abuse in 2015. We also continued our work on the topic of civic pride and youth facilities.

We recently made three videos to explain what Comhairle means to young people: you can view these below

Waterford City and Waterford County Comhairle were operating as two separate Comhairle until the Local Authority merger in 2014, and up to this point were working on separate topics.

IN 2013-14 Waterford City Comhairle focused their time on Civic Pride. The Comhairle wanted to come up with a way by which they could honour past and present Waterford Heroes, thus the Waterford Heroes Initiative was developed. A public poll was held to choose Waterford’s top five heroes: Edmund Rice, John Keane, John Mullane, Thomas Francis Meaghar and Tony Browne. Murals were created in their honour and are mounted on public display in the Viking Triangle, Waterford.

Waterford County Comhairle had a successful two years tackling Body Image and in particular, cyber-bullying.  In 2013, Comhairle members convinced nearly 5,000 students to take the Cyber Code on the county-wide Cyber Day. They also showcased the Cyber Code in Dáil Éireann and at national and international Conferences.
In 2014, the Comhairle created an SPHE resource for Body Image. The “What Is Beauty?” campaign consisted of videos, posters and an in-class activity sheet.
The group was also awarded an All Island Pride of Place Award in the Enterprise and Youth category.