Practice Learning 1: Contexts

Practice Learning 1: Contexts

The Apple Tree Foundation

The community in which I am based is Dundalk, County Louth, It is the smallest county in Ireland but the largest town and it enjoys a great position, strategically situated approximately halfway between the Belfast and Dublin. It sits where the Castle Town River flows into Dundalk Bay. At the last census in 2012 Dundalk had a population of some 37,000 people.

For the purpose of this paper I will be evaluating a service that is based in Dundalk called “The Apple Tree Foundation”. This is a project that was set up in 2006 by a group of concerned adults, mainly therapists in private practice from various backgrounds that had become increasingly concerned about the lack of opportunities and facilities in Dundalk for young people.

Demographic

Demographically the town has a high percentage of young people and it is estimated that some 6,500 are between the ages of 11 and 20. Ireland has more young population as compared to other European regions on average (Department of Education and Science, 2003). In common with other towns of similar size Dundalk faces specific challenges in supporting its younger citizens. Before the collapse of the Irish economy Dundalk was well served with leisure facilities including a swimming pool and indoor soccer pitches, an ice rink and fitness centres but at the time of writing they have all been closed down.

Diversity

As it has been discussed, youth population of Ireland is much diversified than heretofore. It is the requirement of the agency to develop programmes for different cultural background of youth where young individuals and youth workers will have to play a role to create awareness and appropriate abilities for diversified cultural background. Even in the boom years a number of these activities were outside the financial reach of many young people. Especially true today young people are facing into a complex society which is particularly challenging and need access to a wide variety of supports.

The apple tree foundation is a Creativity Centre which is open to all young people aged between 12 and 19 but has particular focus on supporting disadvantaged young people and those in any form of difficulty. Unfortunately we are now in different times in Ireland were the emphasis is on saving money, cutting funding to all charities and unemployment is running at 15% and many people are in arrears on debt. So any organisation is struggling to survive and the apple tree is no different. Since 2009 it has lost 40% of it funding as creativity for young people is not seen as propriety.

The concept of the centre is to facilitate young people to develop skills and participate in a wide variety of arts activities including drama, music, multi-media, photography, creative writing, crafts and dance. It also provides an exhibition and performance space with opportunities for young people to acquire enterprising skills and attitudes, develop skills and become involved in all aspects of information communication technology.

The rational for the project concept, which ...