There was a big turnout in the Droichead Arts Centre on Thursday last, October 17, for the first screening of the community film, No Wrong Door.
This locally produced film, with a cast of locals, was the brainchild of Liz Cronin and her team in Extern. Liz’s original idea came about when she met with five young people from Drogheda with experience of interacting with the criminal justice services.
They shared with her their reasons for not engaging in pro social groups and their vision for Drogheda which they said should be a safe place where every child has the opportunity to be part of something bigger, something that keeps them away from harm and helps them thrive, and an idea for a film was born.
It took almost a full year to bring the film to fruition but it was worth the wait.
The event was delivered with the support of the Place Based Leadership Programme, which brings together local residents, community organisations and statutory agencies to design, implement and review solutions to complex challenges in Drogheda communities, and Louth Local Development.
This collaboration is just one of the many initiatives that have been delivered in the community sector in the Drogheda area over the past couple of years, where strong networks continue to be built among the different services in the community and volunteer sector.
The film (see below) reflects the vision behind Ireland’s Youth Justice Strategy as a starting point for change, grounded in the principles of child welfare and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Strategy is about ensuring that every child, no matter their background or the challenges they face, has the right to safety, security and opportunities to grow in a positive environment.
This can be achieved through ‘collaborating across all sectors of government and society in the development and delivery of opportunities for children and young people, to harness support in their families and communities in order to strengthen their capacities to live free from crime and harm’.
The event on the day was attended by representatives of the education, community and youth sectors as well as a large number of students. Drogheda Mayor Paddy McQuillan also attended the event.
Dr. Catherine Naughton Limerick University, an expert on Youth Justice, was the specialist guest speaker at the event and gave an in depth presentation of the facts and figures about child criminal exploitation, youth justice, causes and the outcomes.
The film was shared with all local second level schools after the event and has already been viewed by thousands of young people in Drogheda. The reaction to the film so far has been very positive.
The film shows how the people of Drogheda support young people to participate in their communities and to feel safe and welcome. There’s lots of familiar faces featured in the 18 minute long film which also showcases many areas of our beautiful town.
The film will be released on social media in the coming days. If you would like to receive a link to it, you can contact us on placebasedleadersdrogheda@gmail.com
