Healthy Louth highlights role of youth work in supporting young people’s wellbeing

To mark Youth Work Ireland Week (11–18 April), Louth County Council is highlighting the role of youth work in supporting young people’s health, wellbeing and resilience through community-based partnerships delivered across the county.

Through frameworks such as Healthy Louth, the Council works with youth services and community organisations to develop and support programmes that promote positive mental health, physical activity and social connection for young people.

Healthy Louth is Louth County Council’s local implementation of the national Healthy Ireland programme. It supports and funds grassroots initiatives aimed at improving physical and mental health, reducing health inequalities and fostering healthier lifestyles for people of all ages across County Louth.

Youth work plays a central role in the delivery of many Healthy Louth-supported initiatives. Youth workers bring expertise in engaging young people in informal, community-based settings, ensuring programmes are accessible, inclusive and shaped by the needs and interests of young people. This approach supports participation, confidence-building, leadership development and positive peer relationships, while also providing trusted spaces for young people to engage with wellbeing supports.

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Healthy Louth also maintains strong links with participative structures such as Louth Comhairle na nÓg, supporting opportunities for young people to inform local wellbeing priorities and contribute to community decision-making processes.

Healthy Louth has a track record of supporting youth-focused wellbeing initiatives across that combine sport, physical activity, mental health supports and community connection. Through partnerships with youth services, schools, sports clubs and community organisations, the programme has supported initiatives that promote active lifestyles, social inclusion and positive mental health for young people in a range of community settings.

Examples from recent years include the innovative Dear Future Me positive mental health initiative, delivered in collaboration with partners such as Dundalk Youth Centre and The Magnet Centre in Newry, as well as Drogheda United-led initiatives, including the Not Around Us Campaign, the Homeless Street League and the Claret and Blue – Learning Together Booklet, which brings the club into primary school classrooms.

Building on this approach, Healthy Louth is supporting the Outdoor Adventure Skills and Youth Wellbeing Programme 2026, delivered by Dundalk Youth Centre. Following the success of the 2025 programme, the 2026 initiative will expand opportunities for young people to participate in outdoor adventure while also developing progression pathways through skills training towards trainee instructor level in activities such as kayaking and archery. Alongside this, a youth-led mental health component will support participants to co-design digital wellbeing resources based on their lived experiences, extending the impact of the programme beyond direct participation.

Through Healthy Louth and its network of partners, Louth County Council continues to take a coordinated, whole-county approach to youth wellbeing, supporting prevention-focused and early-intervention work through community-based youth services.

Rachel Finegan, Healthy Louth Coordinator with Louth County Council, said: “Healthy Louth champions programmes that give young people a real voice - creating trusted, valued spaces where they can express their needs and shape the supports around them. Through this commitment, Louth County Council promotes positive mental health, builds resilience, and strengthens long-term wellbeing in meaningful and sustainable ways”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.