The OnSide Youth Advisory Board Take Dublin ✈︎

Jake and Alice, members of the Youth Advisory Board, travelled to Dublin to take part in the inaugural Ireland–UK Youth Forum, bringing together young people from across the UK and Ireland to discuss the issues affecting their generation. They share their behind-the-scenes diary of representing the OnSide Network at the first-ever joint youth summit at Iveagh House.

Part I: The Arrival

Alice: This was a very big experience for me as it was my first time ever going on a plane. I was very nervous about travelling by plane, but I was also so excited with the opportunity to discuss our issues with other young people throughout the UK and Ireland who felt very strongly about this too.

When we arrived into Dublin, it was beautiful. I was amazed by the beauty of the city centre as we drove through. As I settled into my hotel room, I got to take a big breath of fresh air and really take in the experience of being in a different country. Later on, we went and looked around at the beautiful sights. I loved how elegant it looked, and I really enjoyed walking around Dublin.

Part II: Breaking the Ice

Jake: We had the amazing opportunity to take part in a youth forum held by the Irish minister. When we got to the event, it started off with a few quick icebreakers to let the 60 young people know each other and to become less strangers.

The icebreakers included a duck racing game where you scream for your duck to move forward, and a cup game where you are told random words until you hear the word “cup” and then you grab the cup before the other people. On the lunch break, we played a game called human bingo which got all of the young people to know each other more and to form a conversation with one another. I enjoyed this game and even ended up winning.

Alice: When we reached the event, I was quite nervous about the amount of young people there. However, I remembered that we were all there for the same thing: to improve the quality of life for young people. I then got more comfortable as the staff had set up some icebreakers, such as doing self-portraits on small easels and “Find Someone Who…” Bingo.

“I remembered that we were all there for the same thing: to improve the quality of life for young people.” – Alice

Part III: Into the Heart of Power

Alice: Then, we set off in groups to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Building. When I stepped in, I was shocked at the beauty of it. It was so fancy, with the large windows and chandeliers. We all got sat down into tables with other young people from each jurisdiction (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland) so that we could all discuss our problems from each place. After that, we were introduced to the Youth Advisory Group, who had set up the entire event, and also the Minister for Children, Norma Foley, who gave an incredibly inspiring speech.

Jake: After the icebreakers, we went to the Iveagh House of Foreign Affairs and sat down in our designated seats. We had a speech from the Minister of Education and the youth advisory group members who were hosting the event. We then were given a task to discuss what topics were an issue in our jurisdiction. Personally, I chose equality and diversity.

Part IV: Putting Ideas into Action

Jake: After the youth advisory group chose four topics to be the main subjects, we were given a giant sheet of paper to write down some examples of the chosen subject, what opportunities and challenges come with the chosen subject, and what the government can do to support this issue.

We had 30 minutes on each topic: culture, equality, and diversity; finance/cost of living; education; and mental health/access to healthcare. Some leads that were discussed included student loans, equal rights, the education system, and many more.

Alice: We had an opportunity to discuss all our challenges and issues and placed them all onto a giant board. The three main issues we discussed were Education, Cost of Living and Health care, and Equality, Diversity and Culture. From this, we suggested examples of the problems, potential challenges, and also solutions. Finally, we drafted 2 submissions for our main problem including the solutions that people had voted for so this would be put forward to the government.

Part V: Music, Culture, and Saying Goodbye

“This trip also expanded my knowledge and amazed me on how many young people can come together to make a difference.” – Jake

Alice: After this, we went to a restaurant and back to the hotel to get ready for the social event. When we arrived, there were 3 people playing a violin, a bodhrán, and a tin whistle. We then got the opportunity to learn how to play the bodhrán and the tin whistle and then played them all together at the end of the event. On the last day, I was excited to go home but felt sad to leave Dublin. It was such an amazing opportunity. I loved every second of the trip and I am so grateful to OnSide for the amazing opportunity.

Jake: After that were the final remarks and we were sent to get some dinner. We chose to eat at the Hard Rock Café, which was excellent and extremely delicious. We then returned and took part in a cultural event which made us learn how to play some instruments and how to adapt them to the Irish culture. This trip introduced me to some topics that some young people were very passionate about. This trip also expanded my knowledge and amazed me on how many young people can come together to make a difference.

Watch Jake & Alice’s Vlog here.