Westmeath's Londiwe Ndlovu new NYCI 'local champ'

The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI), which represents organisations working with young people nationwide, has launched its Local Champions initiative, a campaign aimed at ensuring increased investment in young people and youth work locally and nationally.

Eighteen-year-old Londiwe Ndlovu from Athlone Town has been selected as the Local Champion for the Longford Westmeath constituency.

Paul Gordon, NYCI Director of Policy and Advocacy explained: “As part of the Local Champions initiative, a group of passionate young individuals has been selected as representatives from their communities to engage with their local politicians and champion the cause of youth work.

The Local Champions received training and support from NYCI to effectively convey the positive impact youth work has on their lives and the lives of young people in the local area, as well as the importance of investing in youth work. NYCI is calling for an increased investment of €9.4 million in youth work in Budget 2024, to support the rising costs associated with delivering quality services locally, and ensure equal access to youth work for all young people nationwide.

Londiwe is hoping to engage with representatives including Minister Peter Burke and TDs Sorca Clarke, Joe Flaherty and Robert Troy among others.

Londiwe Ndlovu said: "Being a local Champion for my area has been a fantastic opportunity as I’ve had the chance to learn about advocacy but most importantly ensure that young people receive as much support as possible, while working with like-minded individuals. At the end of the day our young people are the leaders of tomorrow therefore it is vital we work collectively with our local representatives to support young people. There’s so much important work happening in our local area to support young people and I want to make sure that our local representatives carry that message to the national level, so that youth work in Athlone and beyond gets its fair share come budget time.”

The Local Champions initiative will include activities such as engaging with policymakers, sharing personal stories, and using social media to raise awareness and mobilise support. Through these efforts, NYCI and the Local Champions aim to create a broader understanding of the significance of youth work and its positive impact on society.

The initiative is part of NYCI's campaign ahead of Budget 2024 on October 10th, 2023 to ensure that young people and youth work receive the necessary investment and support they deserve. The Local Champions initiative is supported by the Community Foundation Ireland.

Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of Community Foundation Ireland added: "Empowering Generations is central to our mission as a philanthropic hub for Ireland. To achieve that goal we’re delighted to be partners with NYCI. The Local Champions network aims to amplify the voices of young people and showcase the transformative power of youth work. It is bringing together an inspirational group of young people, and we look forward to seeing them connecting with their local representatives to share how youth work changes lives.”

To learn more about the Local Champions Initiative and NYCI's efforts to advocate for increased investment in youth work, please visit youth.ie