Over the past week, YMCA Europe joined YMCA Ireland on a field visit across several YMCA locations in Ireland and Northern Ireland – an important opportunity to connect directly with local teams, understand their work on the ground, and explore new areas of collaboration.
The visit began with YMCA Dublin, where we met staff and leadership to learn more about their programmes serving the local community. Discussions focused on achievements, current challenges, and potential areas for partnership, including future European funding opportunities.
Digital skilling and digital equity were also key topics, as these are soon to be integrated into their Community Hubs.
The journey continued in Lurgan, Larne, and Carrickfergus, where we engaged with local managers to hear first-hand about their impact, challenges, and successes.
Each of these YMCAs plays a vital role in supporting young people and their communities. It was especially encouraging to see plans for introducing digital skilling and e-sports activities – initiatives that will open new opportunities for youth engagement and development.
The final stop was YMCA Greenhill, the national outdoor and community centre of YMCA Ireland, located in the beautiful Mourne Mountains. The team explored the wide range of services provided there, including outdoor learning, residential programmes, and community-based activities.
The visit also coincided with preparations for the YMCA Europe Leadership Academy, hosted this week at Greenhill, gathering 26 young leaders from across the continent.
As part of this visit, we also reflected on the recent PulseZ local event hosted by YMCA Ireland earlier this year, an opportunity provided through YMCA Europe’s support. Their outstanding delivery engaged more than 100 young media makers across Ireland in practical workshops on podcasting, video storytelling, media ethics and AI literacy. This experience perfectly illustrates the organisation’s creativity, professionalism and strong community engagement, reinforcing why YMCA Ireland continues to be a key partner in advancing youth empowerment and digital innovation in Europe.
For YMCA Europe, these visits represent more than a formal engagement – they are essential moments to listen, learn, and connect with member movements at the grassroots level. Understanding local realities helps shape partnership portfolios and ensures that future European initiatives respond effectively to the needs of our members.
We were truly impressed by the dedication of YMCA Ireland and the local YMCA leaders, whose work continues to bring lasting change in their communities. YMCA Europe remains committed to supporting them, strengthening collaboration, and amplifying the collective impact of the YMCA Movement across Europe.
