Connect 4 makes a huge difference to the community

YOUTH work project Connect 4, which targets at-risk young people in Killinarden, Jobstown, Mac Uiliam and Glenshane, turned two-years-old this week.

They reach out to young people via street work, by meeting young people where they’re at on streets and in fields and encouraging them to engage in activities in a friendly and unobtrusive way.

The team leader, Paul Perth, has been with the service since day one and recalls what it felt like to get the service, which has helped thousands of young people, to get off the ground and be accepted.

“I remember the first day, April 11, 2022, and meeting the rest of the team for the first time,” he told The Echo.

“We all met on the Nangor Road for an induction, and then we went to the office in Killinarden – that was where we were before we moved to our current office in Glenshane.

“We identified what our aims and objectives were and, sitting down with the three other members of the team, we all got to hear different perspectives on what we thought street work should be.”

It took a while for the team to be accepted by the community, and they achieved this by turning anti-social spaces into pro-social ones and gaining the trust of local young people.

Shamrock Rovers player Aaron Greene, Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley, Rob Whiteley from Connect 4, Paul Perth from Connect 4, Shamrock Rovers assistant coach Glenn Cronin and Grace Hill, Co-ordinator, Tallaght Drug & Alcohol Task Force

“We found it difficult to get ourselves out there and trusted, at first,” added Paul.

“We found a field in Killinarden where anti-social behaviour was happening, we cut the grass there and we got the young people there engaging in anti-social behaviour to engage with us.

“We were able to do one-to-one interventions with them, and then every Monday night that summer there were up to 100 young people coming to the field and engaging with football sessions.”

Shortly after the group was set up, they also identified a need for work to be carried out on a field in Mac Uiliam for the benefit of young people who were using it for football games, even though it was overgrown.

“We went into a field in Mac Uiliam, and the grass was 12 inches high, but there were young people there playing football and using nitrous oxide canisters for goalposts,” recalled Paul.

“South Dublin County Council cut the grass, and we went to Active Cities South Dublin and we got goalposts put in, and now the field is a pro-social place.

“We try to go into places where there are groups of young people that people are afraid of, and we try to turn that space into a pro-social space.”

The group is supported by the Tallaght Drug and Alcohol Task Force and the South Dublin County Partnership, and last week they received a €10,000 donation from software company SportsKey.

This funding will be used for the provision of goalposts, pitch markers, gym sessions in Tallaght Leisure Centre for the young people, and to assist Connect 4 with continuing to carry out their important work.

“The €10,000 goes a hell of a long way,” explained Paul.

“It makes a huge difference.”

The group itself has already made a huge difference to the community in West Tallaght and has garnered positive feedback from residents about the impact of their work.

“One of the local residents gave us feedback that the parents in the area feel safe to let their kids out and play again because of our presence,” said Paul.

“A mother told us that the place feels brighter now because there’s a sense of fun.”

Looking ahead, Connect 4 are keen to carry on their work and to engage with young people who are falling through the gaps and are not involved in local activities targeted at youths.

“We would’ve targeted the most at-risk youths in the area at first, and we still do that, but we see gaps with young people who aren’t involved in criminal activity but are at risk,” said Paul.

“Looking at the needs in the area, a lot of young people are disconnected, they’re not involved in groups.

“So there are a lot of 10, 11 and 12-years-olds who are at risk and doing nothing, so we try and engage them in different activities.”

When asked what his plans are for the future of Connect 4 are, Paul said: “We want to keep changing, keep developing, and keep trying new things.”