TRY targets vulnerable young people aged 14 to 26 years who are in a chaotic condition of drug and alcohol misuse, mental health issues, and educational and employment deficits dealing drugs in hotspots around urban communities. TRY implements an outreach and bridging model. Workers are peer mentors who make contact with the target group in community settings, on the street, in the flat complexes, building relationships by acting as role models. This model of working is predicated by intensive outreach and informal street-based activities. Bridging young people towards appropriate mainstream support services requires the workers to mediate between the young people and services they need. Over time, workers hand-hold the young people as they cross to a more constructive life-path involving healthy positive relationships, a positive relationship with drugs and alcohol and a positive regard for and by their community. As many of the participants do not identify themselves as drug addicts, it is interesting that the workers can challenge this perception and move participants into treatment. Identifying issues and responses at this stage will reduce future treatment needs. The project team is made up of one full-time Team Leader and two part-time Outreach Workers. TRY aims to move some of its target group into peer mentor roles to continue and expand this work with hard-to-reach and marginalised young people.
In 2019 the young men of the area participating in the yearly football match against the local Gardai from Kevin St.
The football match is a yearly event in memory of Liam Hicks who was a influential local man. Liam gave every young person the opportunity to engage in football.
The event brings out the community past and present to support not just the past memories but the present and the future. The young men have been unbeaten in the past 3 meetings.
In 2019 the first all young women’s team played a thrilling match against the Women Gardai from the A district. This event was proudly sponsored by local projects and the Chief Superintendent Lorraine Wheatly presented the trophy to the winning team.
The winners on the evening were the members of An Garda Siochana
Targeted Response with Youth (TRY) is a project managed by Donore Community Drug and Alcohol Team (DCDAT). The work of the project is underpinned by a Memorandum of Understanding between the TRY Steering Group and the DCDAT Management Board. It is the intention of TRY to become an independent legal entity in the coming months.
