Derry’s On Street Community Youth warns programmes at risk due to funding

The Galliagh-based organisation described the National Lottery as its most supportive backer over the past two decades and acknowledged funding has become scarcer in recent years.

But it said the loss of funding will affect its various youth programmes.

“This will inevitably have a major impact on the ability of On Streets to continue to deliver the myriad youth and community services that have become so familiar and commonplace within Galliagh and across the wider community,” it stated.

On Street Community Youth has been at the heart of the local community in Galliagh for thirty years delivering a range of youth services, including its street team who are on hand in the evenings and on weekends to support young people.

It also delivers Galliagh Youth Club, is an important presence in Galliagh Community Centre, and helped the Galliagh Feile develop as a successful grass-roots community festival.

“These and many other services have provided the basis for Galliagh to flourish and to unite, and they must be protected if we are to fulfil our ambitions to make this community one that is fairly represented and provided for and which begins to see the modern development of services and facilities that it has sadly lacked for too long,” the organisation said, while thanking partners, volunteers, supporters and funders.

"This is certainly a worrying time for On Streets and in particular our staff and our users. We want to reassure that we are doing all we can to overcome the situation we now face, and we are committed to finding the means to secure these core services for Galliagh.

“There is never a good time to announce such news, but we do so in the knowledge that we have the support and backing of our wider community.

"We now must look to others for help and assistance so we can continue to deliver these essential youth and community services in Galliagh which are so badly needed, and which are now at risk,” it said.