'Sometimes young people need a space to say something out loud'

ChillOUT in Manor Street Youth and Community Centre provides a safe space for LGBTI+ young people to explore their identity, connect with others and engage in meaningful conversations and developmental activities. As part of Waterford and South Tipperary Community Youth Service (WSTCYS), the project provides support and guidance and also fosters a sense of belonging and acceptance.

Sarah Power is a Community Youth Worker in ChillOUT for nearly five years, and describes the ChillOUT groups that are available to young people on a weekly basis in the welcoming and inclusive Youth Centres.

“We have three ChillOUT groups. We have Chillout Minis (10-13 yrs), ChillOUT (14-17 yrs) and then we have ChillOUT+ (18-24 yrs). There are other ChillOUT groups that have started in the past few years in our other projects. We have one down in Dungarvan, and there’s also one in Clonmel. It’s great to see the name ChillOUT being recognised and expanding. We received an award this year from Belong To, the national LGBTQ+ network, for our work. It’s called the Rainbow Award, and we were one of the first organisations in the country to receive it in recognition of the safe and inclusive space that we provide for young people,” explains Sarah.

Incorporating social education, personal development, leadership and teamwork skills into group work at Manor Street, is not only providing a safe space for LGBTI+ youth to be themselves but also equipping them with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in all areas of their lives.

“Our LGBTI+ group works in the exact same way as every other group. The young people come, they make a plan of what they want to do over the next six or seven weeks. It doesn’t vary vastly in what they want to do but it’s the conversations that come up that are crucial. They are able to talk about how somebody said something to them in school, or maybe explore their identity. We are not here to tell them who they are, or who they can be, we are just an ear to listen to them while they are on the journey and figuring out who they are as a person. Sometimes young people need a space to say something out loud and that’s what they do in the group. It’s the conversation that creates that space for them in their groups.” 

ChillOUT gives young people the opportunity to openly discuss their experiences, challenges and triumphs in a supportive environment that can help them navigate any challenges they face and develop confidence in themselves.

“At ChillOUT, it’s the one space in their week that they know that no matter what they say they are going to be accepted. And that doesn’t mean they are not challenged, we challenge the young people all of the time on their opinions and views, and we help them grow and develop. We make sure that they actually understand what they are saying and what impact it will have on people.” 

ChillOUT and its members play a major role in organising the youth activities for Pride of the Déise week and this work offers valuable experience in teamwork, negotiation, planning and budgeting.

“We are honoured that members of our ChillOUT group are on the Pride of the Déise Youth Committee. They spend six or seven months heavily involved in the organisation of the week. The chairperson this year of the Pride of the Déise Adult Committee is Amy O’ Riordan and she has been a volunteer here at the Youth Project for many years. Her commitment to the young people is amazing. She volunteers with the Youth Committee every week and has helped them organise a week full of activities such as Open-Mic Night and Friendship Games during the week.” 

The whole Youth Work Team in Manor Street (Sarah, Glenn, James and Shellie and all our volunteers), have every reason to be proud of the members and the hard work they've put into organising the event. It takes a lot of dedication, time and effort to plan and execute successful events, especially ones aimed at creating safe spaces and fostering inclusivity.

“We are also hosting a Pride Breakfast here on the Saturday (1st June) morning for our young people to come and get ready for the march, and then we’ll all head down together. We are hosting a Youth Takeover Party on the Sunday, a day full of activities, learning drag make-up, disco, Karaoke. It’s going to be a really safe, fun space. 

The young people from ChillOUT have organised all of that, from the social media posts, to creating all the graphics for the various events and the signups. We helped them with a budget and they figured out what they were going to spend their money on based on the money they had. They’ve done it all. 

This committee is absolutely amazing with the work they have put into it.” “Last year our Pride of the Déise Youth Committee won the Garda Youth Award for the Overall Category of Community Safety for the work they put into the Pride Weekend in offering a safe space for the LGBTI+ community.” For more information on ChillOUT LGBTI+ Youth Project please contact Sarah on 0866018961 or Glenn on 0860218941 or email chillout@wstcys.ie