"A Need to be Heard"  video collaboration released by Foroige

Young people from Foróige projects across Fingal have collaborated to write and produce a spoken word poetry piece about Covid-19 and the impact it is having on young people in particular.

‘A Need To Be Heard’ was composed by Elizabeth Lola Osikomaiya from the Foróige Youth Service in Coastal North County Dublin and Josh Tutty of Foróige in Corduff. The video was filmed throughout Fingal by Patrick Tolan of The Foróige Computer Clubhouse in Blanchardstown.

The video can be viewed at https://youtu.be/QB0m8MjJVnQ

Elizabeth Osikomaiya’s lyrics were written about the collective experience of young people in Ireland during the pandemic and were inspired by her own experience making the transition from school to college.  Elizabeth said: “I just started my first year of university and a lot of what I wrote was just how I was feeling, the experience. I wanted to be as inclusive as I could so I tried writing from the viewpoint of people's different situations in life.”

‘A Need To Be Heard’ was composed in response to some of the negative publicity that has followed young people during these challenging times. The young people were supported by John FitzGerald, Senior Youth Officer with Foróige, and the collaboration happened remotely, using online technologies and platforms while adhering to all Covid-19 guidelines.

Miriam Ryan, Foróige Manager for North Dublin, said: “Young people need to be commended for their efforts and continued engagement with youth services. It's been a tough year for all of us, but young people in particular have been very severely impacted, their whole lives turned upside down.  Every day through our work in Fingal and beyond we see the best of young people, their resilience, their willingness to stay involved and adjust quickly to changed methods of engagement.  As an organisation we are committed to listening to the voices of young people and supporting and enabling them through this very challenging time.”

‘A Need To Be Heard’ is a partnership between Foróige, Fingal County Council’s Communications Unit and BNL Productions Northern Ireland, It will be circulated widely across Fingal in the coming days.

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About Foróige

Foróige is the leading youth organisation in Ireland, operating projects and volunteer led clubs in Fingal in areas such as Blanchardstown, Balbriggan, Rush, Lusk and Skerries.   The charity works with over 1,200 young people in projects and over 600 young people in clubs in Fingal.  Projects range from targeted Garda youth diversion projects, UBU projects, supports for young people faced with substance use and broader opportunities for young people in a variety of national programmes such as Technology, Entrepreneurship (NFTE), Leadership, Health & Wellbeing and Citizenship. Foróige and Fingal County Council have a long-established working relationship. Fingal County Council provides community space for Foróige projects and services and works in partnership on initiatives such as Comhairle na nÓg and summer programmes. Foroige is also a member of the Fingal COVID-19 Community Call Forum.