Members of the Shadow Youth Partnership designed beer mats and posters with the messages 'If In Doubt - Get Out' and 'Ring Around - Get Home Safe and Sound'. The young people have also engaged with local taxi firms and pub and club owners to get this message across to as many young adults as possible in the run up to Christmas.
The Minister congratulated the Clones Erne East Partnership for developing the Get Home Safe campaign and commented:
“This initiative is a step in the right direction in trying to make young people aware of the importance of keeping safe. It emphasises key points such as not walking home alone at night and not taking a lift from someone who may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
“I would urge young people never to take their personal safety for granted and to take the necessary steps to protect themselves from risk.
“Young people are an important target group of the new NI Rural Development Programme 2007-2013. It is important that they are consulted on issues that affect them and I welcome projects coming forward that directly tackle needs and aspirations of rural young people.”
Annmarie Fryers, Project Manager for the Clones Erne East Partnership is in full support of the “Get Home Safe” campaign. She said: “We have been very impressed with the passion of our young members for this project. It is entirely their idea as we asked them to nominate areas for action and Road Safety emerged as the core concern for our young people.”
The Shadow Youth Partnership aims to encourage the young people living in the Clones Erne East area to be active citizens and to encourage them to develop an understanding of, and take a role in, the local governance of the area. The Partnership also ensures that the views of the young people in the area are heard and acted upon in addition to exploring solutions to issues they have identified.
The Shadow Youth Partnership is funded through the Clones Erne East Partnership, supported by the EU INTERREG IIIA programme through the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in NI and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in Ireland. The project has also received funding from Fermanagh District Council, Clones Town Council and Monaghan County Council.
Notes to Editors:
- The ‘Laying the Foundations” project represents an investment of €653,210/ £450,490, with Interreg IIIA Ireland / Northern Ireland Programme providing a contribution of €489,907/£337,867 through the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in NI and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in Ireland. The project has also received funding from Fermanagh District Council, Clones Town Council and Monaghan County Council.
- The Special European Union Programme Body (SEUPB) has overall responsibility for the INTERREG IIIA Programme, which is designed to support cross-border co-operation, social cohesion and economic development between the regions of the European Union. The Ireland / Northern Ireland INTERREG IIIA Programme covers all of Northern Ireland and the six border counties of Ireland, Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Louth, Monaghan and Sligo.
- The Rural Development Measure (1.4) of the INTERREG IIIA Programme, is managed jointly by DARD and Border Action. The Measure is worth €14M EURO and 14 different cross border partnerships have benefited. The Measure aims to promote the economic and social development of rural dwellers through integrated local area based development strategies and projects that will provide sustainable benefits on a cross-border basis.
- All media queries to DARD Press Office on 028 9052 4619. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
