Summer has finally arrived with record temperatures and the start of the hotly-anticipated Lagmore inclusive summer scheme in the Lagmore area of Colin.
The scheme includes six weeks of activities to be completed by 220 young people across the community. Available for ages seven to 18, the programme includes visits to Tayto Park and Let’s Go Hydro as well as trips to the cinema and Stormont.
There will also be an emphasis on education with a ‘transition week’ which will help P7 children gain confidence as they move from primary to secondary school. And the 14 to 18 year-old cohort are being given a chance to become youth leaders who will then help run the scheme in future years.
Local Councillor and former Lord Mayor Danny Baker has been an advocate for the project for over three years and sees this scheme as a major coup for Lagmore. “There has never been a youth club that has been as specific with a strategic, forward-thinking plan for young people as Lagmore Youth," he said. "The programme is cutting across all sectors, making sure no kid is left behind.”
And he had special praise for the volunteers who make the initiative possible. “Without the volunteers, this summer scheme wouldn’t happen,” added Cllr Baker.
Scheme leader Colm Fanning hopes the project will be able to bring people back together after a difficult year due to the coronavirus pandemic. “The programmes are geared towards ensuring young people connect and to help their physical and mental well-being," he said.
The group recently held a successful colour run for Pride season which involved around 200 members of the Lagmore community.
