Local Champions
About the Opportunity
We are recruiting new “Local Champions”, young people who have benefited from youth work who will receive specialist training to become campaigners for youth work funding in 2026!
Who?
18–25-year-olds who have experience with youth work as a young person
What?
NYCI will deliver a tailored training programme across the year for successful applicants, including two in-person training sessions on Sat 28th March and Sat 9th May in Dublin, online evening workshops from March-Sept, and continuous support to empower young people to act as youth work advocates in their communities.
From there Local Champions will use the skills they have learned to lobby their local TDs (politicians) and bring the impact of youth work home to their elected representatives.
“It was a space for me to meet like minded individuals and it opened the door to amazing opportunities that I will cherish forever”
– 2025 participant
How will ‘Local Champions’ benefit?
Through training and ongoing support, Local Champions will learn about:
- The Irish political system
- How to work with and influence politicians.
- How to work together to make change
This programme will give young people practical opportunities to
- get first-hand experience of the Irish political system;
- learn the importance of local politics and local action;
- develop valuable communication and persuasion skills;
- meet other like-minded young people and;
- give voice to their experience of youth work in support of the Youth Work Changes Lives campaign.
What will Local Champions do?
- Local Champions will attend intensive in-person training days in Dublin and receive tailored online evening workshops to develop their advocacy skills.
- This will prepare participants to organise and host meetings in their own constituencies with their local politicians, to campaign for youth work funding
- Attend online ‘check in’ meetings to support lobbying efforts.
- Spread the word on and offline and show others the value of youth work in whatever other creative ways you feel inspired to do after our trainings!
- There may also be opportunities to appear in local and national media discussing the importance of youth work and issues that affect young people.
Some important information
- NYCI will cover all transport costs associated with participating in the project
- This project is kindly supported by the Community Foundation Ireland.
Application process
- This programme is for 18–25-year-olds who have experience with youth work (either as a young person or a volunteer). Participants will apply through the form below and will receive a phone call from NYCI staff in the following weeks for an informal phone interview (5-10 mins). Final successful participants will then be notified by email.
Apply to become a local advocate using the form below. This will be a competitive process and NYCI is inviting applications from young people up to 20th February 2026.
If you have any questions in the meantime, don’t hesitate to contact grace@nyci.ie
Application does not guarantee participation in this initiative. Successful applicants will be contacted for the next stage of the process.
NYCI’s Local Champions have a collective contract that all participants will be given a copy of and expected to adhere to throughout this project. This is to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all participants.
Apply for the Local Champions initiative now!
