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Pat Kenny leaves RTE to join SpunOut.ie!
Our March news round-up.
Monthly newsletter: The heart of SpunOut.ie
SpunOut.ie is a youth-led national organisation empowering young people to create personal and social change.
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Pat left the Late Late because of SpunOut.ie offer!
SpunOut.ie is delighted to announce that it has successfully headhunted broadcaster Pat Kenny to lead its upcoming youth social action project. Kenny announced last Friday that he will leave his post as presenter of the famous Late Late show to join SpunOut.ie. The SpunOut.ie team have been making connections with RTE people over the past few months which resulted in an agreement that will see Kenny join the growing youth-led civic engagement organisation later this year.
This remarkable scoop will mean young people throughout Ireland will benefit directly from the expertise, wisdom and connections of this veteran broadcaster. Pat has expressed his wish to ‘take it to the streets' as part of the SpunOut.ie plan to mobilise young people as active citizens.
Read more about APRIL FOOLS DAY! here:
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Highlights from the month of March:
It's been a fast, furious and productive few weeks since our last update. Some of the highlights from March include:
- We took part in a round table discussion on citizenship with the amazing people from the Fatima Regeneration Board and Fatima groups united.
- We also took part in a national round table on mental health issues hosted by Minister John Moloney that will hopefully see a much needed new campaign emerge to destigmatise mental health issues.
- Meanwhile we received news that we will receive a 12.5% funding cut from the HSE's National Office for Suicide Prevention Office, which means we need to increase our fundraising efforts.
- SpunOut.ie's Ruairí McKiernan was short-listed for the prestigious Captain Ryan Scholarship (One Foundation) which was won by our friend Michael Barron from the amazing BelongTo LGBT youth organisation. Major congrats to Michael!
- Meanwhile our man Ian Howley was short-listed to the final 8 for the Vodafone World of Difference Award.
- Ruairí and Ian were also in the media this month. Ruairí was interviewed in The Examiner's coverage of Clare Mulvaney's ‘One Wild Life' book. Ian was featured in the Sunday Independent's magazine.
- We were also out and about for the One Foundation's mid way review and celebration at the Guinness Storehouse. Well done to all at the One Foundation for all your amazing work and thank you for helping us survive and thrive!
- SpunOutters were also present at the launch of Headstrong's Somewhere To Turn To, Someone To Talk To report. A huge congrats to Headstrong from all at SpunOut.ie!
- We published our 2008 selection of SpunOut.ie youth articles in the wonderful ‘Our Stories' magazine. You can download a copy here or request one via info@SpunOut.ie.
- The Greens proposed a new ‘tax on text messages' and 3 SpunOutters got their views heard in a full page editorial in The Examiner newspaper.
- We kick-started a new Board development process that is bringing more youth involvement to our Board of directors, meaning young people truly are ruling the roost.
- Our super Intern, Derina Bourke, created some great new multimedia videos covering everything from healthy recipes to info on the Rape Crisis Network. See them on the SpunOut.ie YouTube channel by clicking here.
- Here in Galway SpunOut.ie participated in the NUIG Health Promotion Day (March 25th) in cooperation with the Galway Refugee Support Group
- Last but not least, a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our wonderful, amazing, talented Editor in Chief, Miss Anna Lally. Anna has spearheaded the development of SpunOut.ie in recent years and deserves a huge well done from everyone in the SpunOut.ie community.
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Five inspiring SpunOut.ie Frontpage Campaigns
All frontpage campaigns are a collective team effort and we strive to make them as strong as can be, inspiring young people to take action and do something positive! Each campaign highlighted an issue of importance to young people. Click on each link to find an article from each campaign. This month featured:
1. Step outside your bubble: Stop and think. Reassess where you are in your life.
2. International Women's Day: Celebrating all things womanly. Ooooh.
3. Luck of the Irish: Celebrating all things Oirish.
4. Make a Mammy a cuppa. Your Mam does a lot for you. Repay the favour and show her you love her.
5. Ease up! Are you stressed off your head? Time to chill the beans and ease up.
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A powerful true life story published this month:
Living with anorexia Part 1
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SpunOut.ie a positive force... Just some of our feedback from SpunOutters this month
"Thank you all for listening. You don't know how much I depend on this site these days. it's the first thing I check when I get home."
"Hey, I have been a member of this for a while but was always way to freaked out to write anything... just read topics and that helped cos it seems like I'm not alone out there."
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Discussion forum threads of the month:
Real life: Depressed
For laughs: Teenage relationships
Real life: How do you handle so-called friends?
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Articles of the month:
Grow your own mind. Is the economic shift such a terrible thing?
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And finally....
Happy April Fool's Day to you all! Perhaps Pat Kenny will join the youth revolution. You never know! That's all from this update from SpunOut.ie HQ. Thanks for taking the time to check it out. If you have any feedback, comments, suggestions or ideas please be sure to get in touch with us by emailing info@SpunOut.ie. We're particularly keen to get ideas and support on fundraising, website redevelopment and active citizenship programmes. Thanks again and see you soon.
The SpunOut.ie team.
