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Banteer Youth Club held its Summer Camp during the past
week. This is the third successive year of the Camp and once
again it proved a huge success, and the weather was also
kind with plenty sunshine.
A total of 87 children between the ages of 5 and 12, from
Banteer and Lyre areas, participated in the Camp. The
programme this year was again expanded from last year and
included a number of workshops such as Arts & Crafts by
Happy Hands, Dream Catcher workshop by Cathleen O’Sullivan,
and Drama/Dance workshops by Catriona McBride of
Tralee. Outings were arranged to Mallow swimming pool,
Little Rascals and Coolwood Wildlife Park in
Killarney. Unfortunately the puppet show did not go ahead
due to last minute cancellation by the Artist, however the
children were treated to a game of bingo, which went down
well.
Other activities included some old-fashioned fun and games,
which were held at the Sportsfield and Community Centre,
including football, golf, sack race, volleyball, soccer,
swingball, penalty shoot out and trips to the state of the
art playground in Banteer. On the final day, Bouncing
Castles, Face painting and some music brought the Camp to a
close.
The local Youth Club members who range in ages from 12 to 16
years old with some Guidance from Leaders and Parents once
again organised and ran the camp. Its success is mainly due
to the co-operation, dedication and commitment of the Youth
Club members who assisted in the detailed organising and
then followed through with the running of the camp. These
young people showed great leadership skills, organisational
skills, and commitment and above all, they had a few very
enjoyable days entertaining the younger members.
It is essential that all Youth club members who wish to help
attend meetings prior to the camp or at least express an
interest in attending, in which case meetings can be
arranged to accommodate everybody.
Because of the huge interest in the camp this year and the
large numbers wishing to participate, it is hoped to change
the format and make it even better next year for all. This
change will also require more help and input from the Youth
club members and will need a larger number participating. It
is hoped to put some training in place for these young
people well in advance of next year’s camp.
A grant of €1,500 was received from the Irish Youth
Foundation this year towards the running of the camp. The
Irish Youth Foundation is a fundraising charity dedicated to
providing positive opportunities for thousands of children
and young people all over Ireland. The money granted by the
IYF is raised from ‘Children’s Hour’ campaign where
employees from over 200 companies in Ireland donate one hour
of their pay to help children in need of encouragement and
support in their lives. Without this financial assistance
the camp would not be possible and the club sincerely
welcomes this help as the total costs of running the camp is
in excess of €3500.
The organisers would like to sincerely thank the Community
Centre and Banteer Community Sportsfield for the use of
their facilities, and also all those who assisted and
offered to assist. To parents for their co-operation and
kindness. This is a very rewarding experience for everybody
involved.
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