Eurodesk Ireland has this month launched the annual Time to Move campaign, a flagship initiative that seeks to raise awareness of opportunities for young people from Tipperary aged between 13 and 30 to volunteer, study, work, and travel across Europe. The month-long campaign will see over 500 free local and online events across Europe, including 17 events confirmed in Ireland to date.
Run in partnership with Youth Work Ireland, Crosscare, YMCA, Spunout.ie, Voluntary Service International (VSI) and Europe Direct, the programme of events are designed to provide free information and raise awareness of opportunities to experience Europe as a volunteer or student, on a work placement or through travel. Events will cover themes such as climate justice, mental health and wellbeing, and how to return to international travel safely as societies across Europe reopen.
Waterford & South Tipperary Community Youth Service will host ‘Just take a minute’, a mindfulness and wellbeing morning to help young people to identify anxious feelings and learn different skills to cope, on Wednesday, 20th October.
Other events include webinars, online gaming tools, mental health and wellbeing sessions such as in-person forest walks, and a series of online Europe-wide competitions, including the ‘Greener Europe’ photography competition, ‘I am Europe, We Are Europe’ writing competition, and ‘Discover Europe’ illustration competition.
Commenting on the launch of Time to Move 2021, Eurodesk Ireland Coordinator, Malgorzata Fiedot-Davies said: “After almost two years of a global pandemic, we know that our young people are more than ready to experience Europe for themselves again. Some may still prefer to do that through virtual volunteering, but we also want to let young people know about opportunities to take up an internship or work placement abroad, to try a school exchange for a semester, or to make the most of their travel plans for a year out.
“Through Time to Move webinars and information sessions, young people can discover the rich array of opportunities and support available to them, particularly for those who may have left school early, who are unemployed or who haven’t had as many chances to travel as their peers. Our network of Eurodesk Ireland members will host Time to Move events online and across the country throughout the month of October, but they’re also on hand all year round for anyone aged 13 to 30 who needs guidance or advice to discover Europe for themselves!”
As part of Time to Move, the Youth Information Online Chat Service will be answering questions and offering support through ‘YI Chat’ (Youth Information Chat), a service that connects young people with trained Youth Information Officers who can provide personalised information, live every evening between 4pm-8pm, Monday to Friday.
Young people from Tipperary can also contact their local Youth Information Centres Waterford and South Tipperary Community Service here and Youth Work Tipperary here.
