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Muirhouse Youth Development Group
The Salesians handed back the parish of St Paul’s, Muirhouse (Edinburgh), to the diocese in 2001, but that didn’t mean the end of Don Bosco’s work in the area. A wonderful band of lay youth workers, coordinated by Lesley Ross, continue to bring the Salesian dimension to the lives of the young people in the area. Angela Ryan, a former coordinator, has provided the following information:
“Muirhouse Youth Development Group (MYDG) is an umbrella organisation for three large youth projects. The Klub, The Junction, and St Paul’s work with young people aged 8-25 within the local area, offering a variety of programmes and activities.
“Through established relationships, the young people are able to access programmes which include project work, open provision, residentials, outdoor education, European activities, volunteering and training. These are aimed at developing the skills and confidence of the young people and offering alternatives to risky behaviour and chaotic lifestyles.”
One piece of project work which proved very successful was ‘eh4 Muzic’. (EH4 is the first part of the post-code for Muirhouse.) This involved a group of 7 young people aged 16-19 living in and around Muirhouse.
They write:
“The ‘eh4 Muzik’ project at Muirhouse Youth Development Group (MYDG), started in Autumn 2002 when we wrote, performed and recorded a song onto CD with Daniel, a German placement student. The song, ‘About your House’, is about life in Muirhouse, what it means to different people and about our own interest in other places. The photos we have taken may be positive or negative to others but express the way we see Muirhouse and what it means to us.”
Click here to read the words of the song.
And here to view a selection of their photographs.
MYDG now has its own web site!
Contact Lesley Ross at MYDG for further details:
The Junction Youth Centre
Craigroyston Community High School
Pennywell Raod
Edinburgh EH4 4PQ
Tel: 0131 476 7237
Email: mydgyouth@hotmail.com |
