Hello John,
I hope you had a restful St Patrick's Day. I'd like to update you on arrangements for the coming period, and how we'll be working to continue to support our members and the wider youth work sector in the coming weeks.
Working with you in the coming weeks
In line with government advice on social distancing, we are introducing remote working arrangements for all NYCI staff. In order to facilitate our continued work with you during this period:
- You will find contact details for our staff listed on our website www.youth.ie
- All upcoming NYCI training and events are postponed until at least 29 March. Where possible, alternative events will take place remotely. You can consult individual event listings on youth.ie/events for details.
Staying positive - help shape the narrative
In the coming weeks, it will be important to highlight examples of intergenerational solidarity and young people responding positively to this difficult time.
- Please contact [email protected] with examples you'd like to share from your area and we will get back in touch. These will be important in combating negative stereotypes, and the narrative that 'young people care less as they are not at risk to the same extent as older people' that has already begun to appear in some media.
Resources for you
Many of you shared the useful resources (video and visuals on explaining Coronavirus and dealing with stress during this period) we have collected, so I'd like to let you know that
- We have added the materials the HSE has made available: posters, leaflets and videos on hygiene, hand-washing and preventing the spread of Covid-19.
The youth work sector has always been characterised by resilience. It has already responded in a positive manner to many of the challenges facing us as a result of the current situation. When you have had time to catch your breath and begin to reorganise, we will be in contact with an initiative to highlight and share some of the innovative youth work practice that is taking place around the country, and to give you the chance to reflect and connect.
In the meantime, NYCI will continue to act as a national point of contact for the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to disseminate information to the wider youth sector, and to support our members and the sector during this time.
Kind regards,
Mary
Mary Cunningham
CEO
National Youth Council of Ireland
P.S. On our website you will also find our previous update with a useful recap of information for the youth sector issued by Government and DCYA to date.
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