Two young people from Kilkenny named Local Champions by National Youth Council of Ireland

Two Kilkenny students have been selected as Local Champions by the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI), which represents organisations working with young people nationwide.

The campaign aims to ensure increased investment in young people and youth work locally and nationally. Franek Dobronski from Carlow, Cliodhna Gannon and Bríd Hennigan from Kilkenny have been selected as Local Champions for Carlow-Kilkenny.  

Grace McManus, NYCI campaigns manager explained: “As part of the Local Champions project, a group of passionate and dedicated young people have been selected as representatives from their communities, tasked with meeting their local politicians and championing the cause of youth work.” 

Cliodhna Gannon from Kilkenny
The Local Champions received training and support from NYCI to effectively convey the positive impact youth work has on their lives and the lives of young people in the local area, as well as the importance of investing in youth work. NYCI is calling for an increased investment of €21 million in youth work in Budget 2026, to support services with increasing pressures, and ensure equal access to youth work for all young people nationwide. 

The representatives Local Champions in Carlow-Kilkenny are engaging with TDs Catherine Callaghan, Peter 'Chap' Cleere, John McGuinness, Jennifer Murnane O'Connor and Natasha Newsome Drennan. 

"I can't wait to work with local TDs and advocate for the importance of youthwork," Cliodhna said. "Organisations like Ossory Youth and spunout.ie really helped me as a young person.

"Without funding for these organisations, I wouldn't have gotten the opportunities I had and I want to campaign to ensure other young people have a safe space to go to be themselves and to help ensure young people are given plenty of opportunities through youth work. This is why I will be calling on my local politicians to increase funding." 

Brid Hennigan from Kilkenny
The Local Champions initiative will include activities such as engaging with policymakers, sharing personal stories, and using social media to raise awareness and mobilise support. Through these efforts, NYCI and the Local Champions aim to create a broader understanding of the significance of youth work and its positive impact on society. 

The initiative is part of NYCI's campaign ahead of Budget 2026 later this year, to ensure that young people and youth work receive the necessary investment and support they deserve. The Local Champions initiative is supported by the Community Foundation Ireland. 

Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of Community Foundation Ireland added: "Empowering Generations is central to our mission as a philanthropic hub for Ireland. To achieve that goal we’re delighted to be partners with NYCI. The Local Champions network aims to amplify the voices of young people and showcase the transformative power of youth work. It is bringing together an inspirational group of young people, and we look forward to seeing them connecting with their local representatives to share how youth work changes lives.” 

To learn more about the Local Champions Initiative and NYCI's efforts to advocate for increased investment in youth work, please visit youth.ie 
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