Candle Community Trust
Developmental Programmes
Connect Project
The focus of The Connect Programme is to provide interventions and supports to help young people make healthier life choices and encourage pro social behaviour within their community. The priority on this programme is to create a sense of belonging and build relationships. The programme is sensitive to the complex needs of the young people and consequently aims to support them in every way possible.
The programme works with young people from the locality and surrounding areas between 15 and 21 years of age. Many of the young people attending the Connect Programme are early school leavers and often face the challenge of reintegration into education and the community, which can be daunting. The Programme reintroduces structure, routine and a sense of achievement.
The support we provide to the young people helps with the complexities of their young lives and strives to empower them to grow, stabilise and develop within themselves and within the community. The Connect Programme is a two hour per day programme which runs five days per week. The programme offers accreditation in QQI Level 3 Employability Skills and social and developmental programmes including Crime Awareness, Positive Mental Health, Sexual Health, Consent and Relationships, Safe Driving and Drug & Alcohol Awareness. The programme also offers outings and trips throughout the year alongside opportunities for socialisation and access to therapies such as reflexology and acupuncture.
The Connect Programme works closely with the Irish Youth Justice Service, Probation Service, TUSLA, local agencies and families accepting referrals from all of the above. As part of the Connect Project we also offer specialised one to one programmes/ tailor made programmes to support individual needs.
Community Service
The Community Service Programme is aimed at young people 18 years and under whom have received a community service order from court. The foundation of our Community Service Programme includes three elements that we consider fundamental to its success. These include restoration, reparation, and developmental work. Restoration is the process that involves young people, who have been involved in offending behaviour, redressing the harm caused to the victim while holding themselves accountable for their actions. As part of the programme we facilitate regular restorative meetings when deemed necessary to address offending behaviour in a reflective way.
Reparation is the process that involves the young people giving back to the community where they have committed the crime. They partake in work that they would not normally do, such as, woodwork projects and maintenance work. And finally, through developmental work, the young people learn key life skills to use in their everyday lives. These skills also aim to prevent them from engaging in offending behaviour and help them gain valuable work experience.
The Community Service Programme is fully supervised and is offered three days per week to young people referred by the Young Person’s Probation Service. The young person’s engagement with the programme is monitored through the Young Person’s Probation Officer and relevant Candle personnel.