Belvedere Youth Club

D01KR99 
Monday & Thursday 9:30 till 11:30 
We are now in our fifth year in Belvedere Youth Club and this has proven to be our most important location. 
Right in the heart of the city and acting as the central hub to all our activities, this is the one location that virtually all our members can access Open twice a week, attracting around one hundred learners per day and with around thirty active volunteers, this is certainly our most vibrant location. Six years ago, as the city was getting ready to reopen after the first COVID lockdown, we approached Belvedere management with the idea of offering English language lessons to adult immigrants in the area. At that time we sold them on the idea of maybe six or seven volunteers and maybe forty students, using one room in the basement. This was quickly shown to be a vastly underestimated number and since 2022 we have been using the main sports hall as well as a couple of rooms downstairs. The location has been pivotal too as it brought us into communication with so many vital agencies that we collaborate with now on a regular basis. YPAR, NEIC, IRC.. For many years Belvedere donated the facilities, but in recent years through the support of The Department of Justice, Dublin City Council, 2 Gateway and numerous agencies we have been able to contribute to the upkeep, however we will be eternally grateful to Belvedere for their initial and subsequent support. As mentioned , Belvedere is our central hub. Members who are first introduced to us in our suburban location, often avail of our classes here, giving access to more classes but also encouraging travel through the city, giving them the encouragement to engage with the city in a larger scale. But it also acts as the hub for our extra activities, from where we host our Inclusion Week Open Days, which are now highly regarded and anticipated with the city. We have also used this space to host Irish dancing tutorials, African dance tutorials and numerous other activities. Amongst our volunteers here we boast Ukrainian, Russian, Arabic, Mandarin, French, Portuguese and Spanish speakers, allowing us to offer classes in English to learners of the lowest levels. This is a lively, vibrant, friendly and welcoming location that has come to be a second home to so many of our group.