Extern celebrates 25 years

Lily Dane • Published 19 Aug 2010 16:00 0 Comments

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Mark Rogers, Project manager at Roscor receives Scouting Ireland Community Award from Tony Smith, Fermanagh Scouts County Commissioner.

Extern Services in the West marked a significant milestone on Friday - their 25th anniversary at Roscor Youth Village, Bolustymore, near Belleek.

Since 1985, Extern has been providing services for children, young people and families in partnership with the Western Health and Social Care Trust (formerly the Sperrin Lakeland and Foyle Trusts).

“Our services have been an integral component of the now Western Health and Social Care Trust’s childcare strategy since that time,” said a representative, adding: “Throughout this period we have evolved a range of community based services for children, young people and families which are attractive, relevant and consistent within a Family Support Model”. Excellent partnership arrangements have been developed with statutory and voluntary childcare and youth work providers throughout the Western area for over two decades.

Services are offered to young people aged between eight to 17 years, who are living in a range of family situations.

“We also provide early intervention services to families. These services seek to promote social inclusion by supporting families and young people from urban and rural areas, enhancing social skills, promoting education and providing pathways to training,” said the spokesman.

Extern’s first residential facility in Fermanagh was the Killadeas Pavillion which was a Western Health and Social Services Board resource.

The site opened in spring 1986 and was used to provide short-term residential accommodation and activity sessions to young people until 1997.

Extern’s Roscor Youth Village, which opened in August 1997, is situated near Belleek and provides a unique facility designed specifically to engage young people and their families in a variety of ways.

Extern has continued to develop its infrastructure at Roscor over the years by listening to the needs of services users culminating in a purpose built education centre and a family time out facility. The site can accommodate over 100 people.

A number of self contained chalets offer high quality accommodation to facilitate a variety of individuals and groups.

The range of activities on site, regarded as very attractive to the children, young people and families who access the village, includes: sports area and outdoor pursuits; sailing and water activities; bike tracks, go-karting and quads; venture learning and ropes courses.

The Social Education Centre at Roscor is a purpose-built centre designed to afford staff the opportunity to help meet the assessed needs of children and young people.

Every summer, Roscor Youth Village is home for ‘Summer Camp’ when up to 210 young people participate in four-day activity breaks based at the village during July and August.

This is now the 25th year of the Summer Camp. Children and young people already participating in Extern’s programme provision in the region are also able to participate. 1500 places are provided.

“While the majority of the places provided in Roscor are to children and their families in Northern Ireland, the young people who use our services in the Republic of Ireland also have access to the site,” said the representative, adding: “Roscor Youth Village is a core element of Extern’s service provision and integral to each and every service across the Western Health and Social Care Trust area.”

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 19 Aug 10

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