Grant Recipients set to engage 5,000 Young People in Ireland over coming 12 months
22,000 Young People have benefitted from the Vhi Health and Wellbeing Fund since launched in partnership with the Irish Youth Foundation 4 years ago
30th September 2024 - Today Vhi and the Irish Youth Foundation (IYF) announced details of the 9 projects awarded grants through the Vhi Health and Wellbeing Fund. Now in its fourth year, the Vhi Health and Wellbeing Fund supports projects that are focused on strengthening resilience in young people and helping them to manage anxiety, with a particular focus on early intervention and prevention. Non-profit organisations which work with young people in Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny and Limerick were invited to apply for a share of the €90,000 fund this year.
Among this year’s grant recipients is The Shona Project in Dublin, an initiative dedicated to empowering young women through workshops on kindness, resilience and confidence, while celebrating their achievements. The awarded grant will support the development of an Anxiety Video Suite for the Shine Festival, an annual event which attracts thousands of teenage girls nationwide. The suite will help provide expert-led conversational content on understanding and managing anxiety through practical tools such as breathwork, and long-term support to provide girls with a better understanding of how to care for their mental health.
Additionally, the Irish Refugee Council was awarded funding to bolster its advocacy and support services for young people navigating the international protection process in Ireland. This grant will enhance efforts to ensure the well-being of these individuals is prioritised by providing crucial resources to help alleviate anxiety throughout their journey.
In Cork, Wellsprings focuses on creating supportive and homely residential care for young women, helping them enhance their sense of belonging and resilience. Supported by Vhi funding, Wellsprings will implement a staff engagement initiative to deepen understanding of trauma-informed practices. This initiative will merge training and group facilitation to enhance emotional resilience, impart safe coping strategies, and develop skills for recognising and addressing anxiety among residents.
Other grant recipients this year include Aiséirí in Kilkenny, Venture Out in Galway, Donegal Youth Service, Just Ask in Dublin and Blue Box Creative Arts Therapy Centre in Limerick.
This year’s grants add to the Vhi Health and Wellbeing Fund’s ongoing commitment to supporting youth group initiatives across the country. Over the past four years, the Fund has awarded a total of €360,000, creating a positive impact in the lives of an estimated 22,000 young people across Ireland. The €90,000 awarded to this year’s projects alone will directly benefit approximately 5,000 young people. By focusing on projects that enhance resilience and manage anxiety, the fund has significantly contributed to improving the health and well-being of young people across the nation.
Brian Walsh, Group CEO of Vhi, said: "At Vhi, we’re incredibly proud to continue our longstanding commitment to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of young people across Ireland. This year, we've allocated funding to nine diverse youth projects across the country. The projects were chosen for their innovative ideas and approaches to addressing the needs of young people by empowering them to build resilience, manage their anxiety and ultimately lead to positive mental health outcomes.
The Vhi Health and Wellbeing Fund has proven to be a powerful force for change with positive feedback and tangible results from grant recipients over the last four years. We hope that the funding allocated this year will provide young people engaged in selected initiatives with an opportunity to enhance their overall wellbeing. We’re looking forward to seeing the impact that the projects supported this year will have on their communities.”
Lucy Masterson, CEO at Irish Youth Foundation, said: “We are immensely proud of the impact the Vhi Health and Wellbeing Fund has had on young people in Ireland, and we were delighted to once again partner with Vhi on this important initiative this year. The financial support provided by Vhi will benefit a variety of organisations nationwide which provide vital supports to the most vulnerable young people in our society. We hope that the funding provided will not only have a positive effect on young people, but their peers and communities alike.”
For more information about the Vhi Health & Wellbeing Fund visit https://iyf.ie/grants/.
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Notes to Editor
Summary of Nine Organisations Awarded Grants
Organisation Name |
County |
Project Description |
Wellsprings |
Cork |
Wellsprings offers short to medium term residential placements for young women in need aged between 16-23 years, with the possibility of lifelong support through a dedicated outreach aftercare service. Vhi funding will support a staff engagement initiative focused on increasing knowledge around trauma informed practice. This will merge training and group facilitation to support learning opportunities focused on raising emotional resilience in young people, offering safe coping strategies and developing skills to recognise and respond to anxiety. |
Aiséirí |
Kilkenny |
Aiséirí provides residential and community-based addiction treatment to young people aged 15-21 years. With Vhi funding they will be offering a new programme, "Connection". This will have two focuses: 1. A sailing programme for those who are engaging in the community-based recovery support groups for between 1-2 years. 2. Equine Therapy Programme for those who are in the earlier stages of engagement with their service - this will be weekly 2-hour sessions for a 12-week period. The overall aim is to increase engagement and provide education and learning about managing anxiety, and building resilience through programmes evidenced to have proven these outcomes. |
Venture Out |
Galway |
Venture Out Wilderness Project offer a range of creative and innovative nature-based programmes and interventions to support young people from disadvantaged communities requiring support to manage adversity and affect positive change in their lives. This funding will support them in continuing to deliver and expand their "Two Wolves Health & Wellbeing Programme". This is an experiential school-based programme for young boys and men, aiming to promote their health and wellbeing, while also addressing issues around what it is to be a man in today’s world. |
SMILE School Completion Project |
Limerick |
The SMILE School Completion Programme (SCP) is part of a nationwide initiative by the Department of Education aimed at reducing early school leaving. Focused on students at risk, SMILE SCP operates in six schools across Limerick’s northside, providing educational and emotional support through tailored interventions such as homework clubs, behavioural support, and after-school programmes. This year, funding from the Vhi Health and Wellbeing Fund will enhance these services, supporting initiatives like mentoring, life skills training and mental health programmes, further empowering students to stay engaged with their education and achieve better outcomes. |
Donegal Youth Service |
Donegal |
Donegal Youth Service is a countywide youth agency set up to support young people with their mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. Vhi's support will be channelled into their STAR project - a programme focused on supporting young people impacted by the Cresslough tragedy. The funding will enable a dedicated youth worker to create a programme of activities to engage and support these young people who were impacted by the tragedy and are now presenting with high levels of anxiety and distress. |
The Shona Project |
Dublin |
The Shona Project is dedicated to empowering young women across Ireland by addressing the challenges they face, including anxiety, self-esteem issues and societal pressures. They offer engaging school workshops on kindness, resilience and confidence, and celebrate young women through their Shine Festival and Junior Ambassador Programme. This year’s allocated funds from the Vhi Health and Wellbeing Fund will enable The Shona Project to develop an Anxiety Video Suite for the Shine Festival, which annually reaches thousands of teenage girls across Ireland. The funding will support the creation of expert-led content focused on understanding and managing anxiety, including practical tools like breathwork for both immediate and long-term relief. This resource will debut at Shine 2024 and remain accessible on the festival’s digital platform, providing ongoing support to girls struggling with anxiety. By addressing the high levels of anxiety uncovered in recent research, this initiative will offer vital mental health support to young women nationwide. |
Irish Refugee Council |
Dublin |
The Irish Refugee Council is dedicated to supporting youth within the protection process and those recognised as refugees in Ireland. They prioritise the well-being and rights of young people facing displacement due to persecution, whether from conflict, torture, or other forms of violence based on identity or beliefs. Their mission includes delivering tailored support and advice to youth throughout their asylum journey, ensuring holistic integration from the moment they arrive in Ireland. They advocate for the protection of children and young people, aiming to raise public and political awareness while conducting evidence-based research to influence policy. This year's allocated funds from the Vhi Health and Wellbeing Fund will be crucial in launching the Irish Refugee Council's new resilience project for young people seeking asylum, aged 16-25. The funding will support three key activities: a monthly drop-in youth group, targeted wellbeing workshops, and one-on-one support. These workshops will offer valuable skills and techniques for managing anxiety and building resilience through activities like yoga, dance, arts, sport and music. |
Just ASK |
Dublin |
Just ASK is an after-school support project in Dublin’s Northwest Inner City, aimed at transforming the lives of children and young people aged 6-18 facing challenging circumstances. It offers a safe space for completing homework, engaging in activities and receiving nutritious meals. The programme focuses on core skills like literacy and numeracy, while also providing sporting activities, trips and residential camps to keep children active and engaged. This year's allocated funds from the Vhi Health and Wellbeing Fund will be instrumental in sustaining and expanding the V.I.B.E.S. programme, previously supported over the past three years. The funding will enable Just ASK to continue and develop the programme by training new youth leaders, organising residential experiences to immerse young people from the NEIC in new environments and launching community campaigns. These initiatives will enhance the programme's reach and impact, providing ongoing support and opportunities for personal growth and community engagement. |
Blue Box Creative Learning Centre
|
Limerick |
The Blue Box Creative Learning Centre offers free psychotherapy services to vulnerable children, young people and their families in Limerick City and surrounding areas. Using research-based Creative Arts Therapies, it helps those who are socially and economically disadvantaged to overcome trauma and participate more fully in their lives and communities. This year's allocated funds from the Vhi Health and Wellbeing Fund will enable Blue Box Creative Learning Centre to expand their innovative creative arts therapy intervention for young people. Building on the existing research-based programme, the funding will support the rollout of this intervention to local youth groups such as the Southill Hub and Engage in Education. The programme, designed to support mental health, reduce anxiety, and build resilience through technology and community engagement, will be delivered in three groups of 8-10 young people each, across 8 sessions. This expansion will directly benefit up to 30 young people, enhancing their mental health and sense of community. |