St John Bosco Youth Club Win at All-Ireland Community Awards

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Cllr Valerie Harte has congratulated St John Bosco Youth Club, Newry, which claimed a prize at the IPB Pride of Place Community Awards.  

The group won the ‘Community Youth Led Initiative’ city category on Friday 10 November at the Armagh City Hotel.

Cllr Harte said, “Congratulations to St John Bosco Youth Club on their amazing achievement the IPB Pride of Place Awards 2023. Each year Newry, Mourne and Down District Council proudly make a nomination to these prestigious awards, and we are delighted that the judges have recognised the excellent work that we know you do for our young people and our community.”

Judges recognised the centre as a “haven” for young people, stating, “This is clearly a safe and welcoming haven that is valued by all concerned. A broad range of programmes and workshops is available, but significantly this place has established a very strong bond with the community it serves. The judges were particularly impressed by the Intergenerational Programme, which aims to foster relationships across the age cohorts — and the enthusiasm of the young people on the day of visit was very apparent.”

The Pride of Place Awards are sponsored by IPB Insurance. The Pride of Place competition was initiated 21 years ago though a Co-operation Ireland programme to acknowledge the invaluable work undertaken by volunteers and those involved in local community development.  It has grown into the largest competition recognising community development achievements on the island of Ireland.