Launch of New Habitat for Jigsaw Galway
Jigsaw Galway was delighted to welcome An Taoiseach, Mr. Enda Kenny, in July when he officially launched our new hub on Fairgreen Road.
John Fitzmaurice, Manager of Jigsaw Galway said, "it was a proud day for us all".
Young people who were invovled in, or had used the service were invited to join in the celebrations. Half of those who use the service are male and one young man shared his experience with the audience at the event... “Thanks to Jigsaw, I was beginning to find a new sense of worth. I felt more confident in everyday situations and, above all, I was no longer giving out to myself… I felt like I was the person I always knew I could be, I felt like my true self.”
Mary-Ann Larkin, chairperson of the Youth Advisory Panel, was involved in choosing the new building and spoke at the Launch saying, "Jigsaw Galway captures the essence of what a youth service should be - open and respectful. We can see this from the high percentage of young people that come to the service themselves seeking help." One third of young people who are served by Jigsaw Galway make the first contact themselves.
Jigsaw Galway had served over 1,500 people in two-and-a-half years (Jan 2009 - June 2011). We quickly out-grew our first home and were in search of a new hub in early 2011. This move allowed us to co-locate with other services (like the Youth Cafe) and make a 40% reduction in rental and running costs.
