Youth club honoured

On March 25 at the Waterfoot Hotel, the group received a certificate for winning a Junior Company event staged in February at the City's Foyleside centre.

The Young Enterprise Northern Ireland, North West Board Trade Fair Awards, backed by both Llyods TSB and the Department of Education sought to find young people attuned to formulating business ideas that could become viable concerns.

Faced with this challenge, a group of teens from the CYC formed their company-West Bank Enterprises.

Youth manager at the CYC, Jeanette Warke, told the Sentinel: "They were challenged to come up with a business idea that would sell. The idea they came with sprang from the book, 'Past the jail and down behind the Fountain.'

In short, that idea was to create a Walking Tour of the Fountain, thereby harnessing the wealth of history in that area and passing it on in a professional manner to visitors who come that district of Londonderry each year.

In the process the opportunity also provided the chance to let the young people discover their own history, heritage and culture from the Fountain's older generation.

Part of the process also saw the decision taken that the young people themselves would deliver the tours and history lectures as opposed to adults fulfilling that role.

Jeanette Warke said: "The young people were very much empowered by this experience and will now receive five weeks training from professional tour guides."

To compete in the competition itself, the children took a lot of photographs, created a DVD as well as leaflets and a brochure that outlines 22 spots of high historical interest in the area. In this way they learned highly valuable I.T. skills. West Bank Enterprise also plan to produce and maintain a website promoting their product in the very near future.

To complete the professionalism of the project the group will also conduct the tours in specially designed uniforms-crimson in colour and emblazoned with the company name and containing white footprints, signifying the foot steps through the Fountain.

"Each person will pay 2 to be taken on the tour, we will keep proper accounts and profits will eventually be divided up amongst the company as well as keeping funds for operating costs," said Jeanette.