Ready, Steady, Cook at Girls Model, Belfast
24th Jan 2008
First Year pupils receive 200 from Girls Model YouthBank to form a cookery club, learning how to make healthy food. Pictured (L-R) are Anna McDonald, pupil at Girls Model, Lauri Gorman from Girls Model YouthBank and Helen McBrien, Ulster Bank Branch Manager, Shankill Road
Ready Steady Cook at Girls Model, Belfast as first year pupils receive a grant of 200 from Girls Model YouthBank to form a cooking club, learning how to make healthy food.
This is one of seven projects being funded this year by Girls Model YouthBank including a Pony Club, Hip Hop classes, a sports programme 'Top Link and creative movement scheme called 'Olympus'.
Ulster Bank has provided funding of 1.3 million to support YouthBank across the island of Ireland over the next three years. The bank's Community Investment Manager, Nuala Hayden, says that YouthBank is about helping young people develop the confidence and capacity to make a positive impact on their local communities.
"The funded projects are a great example of how young people create something which benefits themselves and the whole school community," she says.
Julie Allen, Co-ordinator of Girls Model YouthBank, says: "This is an extremely positive event for our school, which has only been made possible through the commitment of time and effort by dozens of young people in the area."
YouthBank is coordinated by The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland (CFNI). There are currently 12 YouthBanks in Northern Ireland and eight in the Republic of Ireland.
Some grants already distributed by local YouthBanks include support of an outdoor pursuits residential in North Belfast (400), a website project in Londonderry providing information and advice to young people about bullying (750), and a personal development project for young parents in Craigavon (1,000).