Candle delivers a high-quality youth service to young people aged 10-25 years, offering a number of daytime, afternoon and evening groups and drop in clubs. Young people participate on a voluntary basis.

The Youth Programme provides a range of recreational, developmental and learning opportunities and services to young people in the Ballyfermot and surrounding areas.

The clubs provide the young people with a safe space where they can relax, be themselves and feel supported by staff and peers.

Young people participate in a number of activities and programmes which focus on personal and social development. These programmes are responsive to their changing needs.

Youth Service Developmental Programming

Recreational activities, coupled with safe and comfortable space provision are vital elements in engaging with young people who, although they may participate in large groups, all have individual needs. It is incumbent on the Candle youth service to foster positive links with young people and identify what each group and/or individual may need.  The Candle Youth Service identifies the needs of each group through listening to the voice of the young people, staff observation and collaboration with young people through a relationship model.  

Once a need is highlighted the youth team devise and implement various developmental programmes to strive towards meeting the ever complex needs of the young people using the service.  This programming can range from safe driving theory, to drug & alcohol awareness, to job seeking, to stress management, to positive mental health promotion. The Candle Youth Service also works with great fluidity of purpose in its collaboration with the Candle Therapeutic Space with young people gaining access to needed therapies, both on an individual basis and in small groups where appropriate.