Rural Youth Programme Extended

The RYE project extension, which is funded by the DARD Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Programme, is currently searching for the latest innovative business ideas to enhance rural communities and your idea could be the next big thing. Whether it’s a new piece of farming kit, an adventure tourism experience, a gaming app, creating your own beer in a micro-brewery or even teaching others to surf the waves, the RYE Programme wants to hear from you now.

Specifically designed to recognise, nurture and develop the innovative and enterprising business ideas of young people aged 16-30 from targeted rural areas, the RYE Programme encourages particpants to realise the potential and value of self-employment and entrepreneurship as a realistic career path and the enormous impact it can have on their local area both economically and socially.

To date, the pilot has helped over 500 people step closer to making their dreams of working for themselves a reality through a series of innovative workshops, networking events and mentoring sessions.

This latest phase promises to carry on this strong tradition and help even more young people from rural areas take those first tentative steps into becoming an entrepreneur.

Olga Gallagher, RYE Programme Director, said:

“Long term youth unemployment in rural areas is one of the biggest threats to the economy.

“It impacts at a local level by leaving many young people with no choice but to move away from their families and communities to find work.

“The RYE Programme wants to help tackle this problem by encouraging entrepreneurial spirit and rewarding it. The initiative realises that young people are the key to the future of our rural areas and that they need adequate support and opportunities for local employment to develop sustainable rural communities and economies.”

The RYE programme offers three free interactive workshops. The workshops can be delivered during the day or in the evening depending on the needs of the group.

In addition to this a series of networking events, master classes, study visits and seminars are also available to all participants.

If you are a parent, community or youth group leader and would like further information on the programme or you’re a budding young entrepreneur aged 16-30 and you want to get involved then contact Gillian or Gail at RDC on 028 867 66980 or email [email protected].

ENDS

Notes to Editor

- The RYE programme is designed to develop an awareness of self-employment and entrepreneurship as a viable career path for vulnerable young people in rural areas and engage those whose interest has been developed in a tailored support programme to assist them in identifying a suitable business opportunity in a growth sector and to help them work up their ideas to the point where they have a Business Action Plan which will assist them in accessing mainstream support to start their business.

- RDC is an independent, non-profit taking organisation working since 1991 to promote positive and sustainable change helping to develop and regenerate rural areas for the better. RDC’s vision is for a living, working, sustainable, shared countryside. RDC has managed and administered over £50 million in funding to over 3,600 projects since 1991.

- Advantage is a not for profit company specializing in providing economic development and entrepreneurship support services for young people, working with clients in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Advantage has been providing products and services for young people in Northern Ireland for twenty-five years.

- The programme is funded by the DARD Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Programme.

- It will target the top 50% most disadvantaged rural areas.

For media enquiries contact Gillian Maxwell, RYE Outreach & Communications Officer at [email protected] 028 8676 6980.