Youth body and Foróige create lobby group after merging
The groundbreaking merger between Ógra Chorcaí and Foróige was confirmed yesterday after almost two years of detailed talks.
Ógra, founded in 1966, has 7,219 young members, 69 paid staff, hundreds of volunteers, 40 clubs, and 28 projects across the city and county.
It is now part of Foróige, which has 57,000 young members, 5,125 volunteers, almost 600 clubs and cafés, and 126 programmes and projects.
Ógra, its staff, volunteers, and programmes will be subsumed into Foróige, which spends an estimated €22m annually delivering its programmes and projects to almost 80,000 young people nationwide.
Ógra staff were briefed on the merger in Cork yesterday. It will be officially announced next week.
Foróige chief executive Seán Campbell described the merger as the largest of its type in the history of Irish youth work.
“This is a first. This will be transformational for young people,” he said.
“It is a brave step by Ógra, who wanted to improve outcomes for young people in Cork.
“This is about a merging of minds, a coming together of two proud traditions.
“It is a difficult time for youth work and this doesn’t make the challenges any less.
“But it gives us a much more coherent message to funders, both State and corporate.”
Foróige is expected to offer an expanded range of services and training over the coming months.
Ógra Chorcaí’s chief executive Declain O’Leary, who has been appointed Foróige’s regional manager for the south, said the merger made total sense.
“It was about ambition for the youth sector. Sure, there is an emotional tug, given Ógra’s massive history and the impact it has had over the years. There is nostalgia that I’m sure will hit us in the weeks and months ahead. But this merger makes absolute sense given the similarities and synergies between both organisations.”
He stressed that the local identity of the Cork clubs and projects would be retained.
Foróige is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year and it is hoped the merger will help increase the amount of funding the group gets from philanthropic organisations.
