Youth cafes are offering a vital service for young people who have few options for socialising in a safe environment, writes SYLVIA THOMPSON
‘DO YOU WANT any gear?” one of the teenage boys shouts after me as I’m leaving the Exit youth health cafe in Brookfield, Tallaght. It’s a joke, but one that is a stark reminder of the backdrop to this ultra-cool, architect-designed space.
Open two evenings a week, the youth health cafe in Brookfield gives teenagers in the locality a chance to get off the streets and be somewhere warm and safe for a few hours.
It mightn't sound like much, but if you're playing pool, watching re-runs of The X-Factor, going on Facebook or just hanging out here, it's less likely that you're getting up to trouble outside. There's free fruit, popcorn, fruit drinks and tea and a volunteer-run shop that only works because everybody has been warned not to rob the till.
“It’s a great facility for the kids on the road. It gets them off the streets and you can’t smoke or drug deal in here,” says Emma (16), a regular at Exit.
Conor (18), who has also been coming to the cafe since it reopened in the new venue a year ago, says: “I get bored at home. There’s only so much telly you can watch.”
With a lot of teenagers in the area dropping out of school, subtle encouragement to stay the course and go on to further studies is part of the mood of the place. Forthcoming events planned for the Exit cafe include a recycled fashion show and a bootcamp which will be held in the sports hall next to the cafe.
“Because we’re a health cafe, there are also leaflets and programmes relating to smoking, drugs and alcohol awareness, mental health and crisis pregnancy support,” says Sara Ennis, the youth worker who supervises at Exit with the help of volunteers.
The Drum at McDonagh Junction shopping centre on the edge of Kilkenny city also hosts a youth cafe a couple of evenings a week for local teenagers.
With its performance space, bank of computers, pool tables and sound-proof rehearsal room, it’s a popular zone for teenagers in the town who might otherwise be at a loose end.
Darren Cullen, a volunteer at the Drum, which opened just over a year ago, says: “The teenagers have real ownership of the space and with that comes respect for the equipment and the games, and responsibility for cleaning up after themselves. It’s something that had been needed for years.”
Melissa Faulkner is one of the youth workers in charge of the Drum youth cafe, which opens on Wednesdays for 12- to 14-year-olds and on Thursday and Fridays for 14- to 18-year-olds. “We have about 10 young people on the youth committee who plan and organise things like discos, table quizzes, movie nights for the cafe, ” she says.
Donal (17) and Tara (17) were both on the youth committee for Drum youth cafe last year. “We organised gigs for the bands, which helped them get to know each other,” says Donal.
“We had a day in the park for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Week last year when everyone dressed up in the colours of the rainbow. It’s great here because no matter what your sexuality is, we treat everyone the same,” says Tara.
The activities themselves allow teenagers who otherwise might be isolated from their peers a chance to fit in and meet other young people.
The Crib in Sligo town and the Attic in Longford are other examples of youth cafes that have been running for a longer time. Natasha McDonald went to the Crib when she was in transition year and is now a volunteer there.
“We organised fundraising events, soccer tournaments, band nights and we even had a sleepover with over 30 people,” she explains. “It gives young people a place to go so that they aren’t hanging around town and getting involved in anti-social activity.”
What many of these cafes have in common is their link to Foróige, the countrywide organisation that funds the staffing of the youth cafes as part of their wider youth work.
“Sometimes, the need springs from the local area and other times, we will suggest youth cafes for specific places,” says Niamh Cremins from Foróige. “They provide a safe place for young people to be themselves, meet friends and relax, get involved in enjoyable activities, deal with concerns they may have and get appropriate support.”
The presence of youth workers in the cafes means that when a teenager needs help of any sort, they can be referred on for counselling or any other programmes that might help.
Back in the Exit, everyone is heading off home, a bit nonplussed after meeting the journalist from The Irish Times. “The thing about a place like this is that the kids who need it are the ones who use it,” says Sara Ennis.
