A CHARITY SUPPORTING YOUNG PEOPLE

Safety on a Night Out

Safety on a Night Out

Apr 5, 2024 | Health and Wellbeing

6 ways to stay safe on a night out

  1. Stay with your friends- If you are not able to find them and decide to go home, it is a good idea to order your taxi from inside the premises you are in and wait there until it arrives.
  2.  Try and arrange a drive home and go with someone you know. Using a taxi app, such as FreeNow. This allows you to have full information on the driver, such as license and car type without having to take the information down yourself.
  3. Have emergency money- It is a good idea if you are on a night out to keep some money on you separate to your wallet or purse. By doing this it means that if your lose it or it gets stolen that you will still have some money to get a taxi home if you need to.
  4. Avoid taking drinks from a stranger- If you are on a night out avoid taking drinks from people you don’t know or leaving your drink unattended. If you want to dance or go to the bathroom, you should avoid leaving your drink alone. Where possible leave it with someone you trust or finish your drink before leaving the table.
  5. Charge your phone- Fully charge your phone before you go on a night out. Having a working phone means that you can call someone if something goes wrong. It also means that you can use it to book a taxi or call someone to come collect you. You should also try to have credit on your phone before you go out.
  6. If you decide to go home with someone- tell your friends, the address and their full name. Always use protection. If you are a female on contraception, it is important to use a condom to protect against STI’S.

All of this information is available on SpunOut

Road Safety

Road Safety

Apr 5, 2024 | Leisure, Sports/Travel

Road Safety for young adults is particularly important, due to lack of experience on the road. The Road Safety Authority in Ireland advocate for road safety for all road users. To learn more visit https://www.rsa.ie/road-safety 

Key risk factors for young drivers- Carrying passengers- Research shows that peer pressure can encourage bad driving and result in drivers ‘showing off’ to their passengers and taking more risks. Newly qualified drivers with a car full of passengers of similar age are four times more likely to be in a fatal crash, compared with when driving alone. However, when carrying older adult passengers, young drivers are less likely to crash, indicating it is peer pressure rather than simply the presence of passengers that raises the risk.

Driving at night- Young drivers have a higher proportion of crashes in the evenings and early mornings. Driving at night also requires extreme care. Young drivers may be under the impression that because roads are quieter at night it is safer for them to speed or pay less attention. In fact, driving at night takes more care due to poorer visibility, and greater likelihood of drink drivers or drunk pedestrians on the roads.

Speeding- Young people often drive too fast because they underestimate the risks associated with speeding, and crashes occur because they do not have to react to a dangerous situation and control their vehicle to avoid a collision.

Drink and drug driving- Drivers in their 20s self-report as having the highest rate of driving when over the drink-drive limit of all age groups.

The consequences of drink and drug driving are extremely serious. People involved in a road traffic incident are more than just a number for the Road Safety Report, they are someone’s family, friend, colleague, or neighbour.  

It takes at least one hour to process one standard drink. Visit Drink Aware for more information on what is a standard drink. 

Mobile Phones

Despite this, evidence suggests young drivers are more likely than older drivers to use their mobile phones at the wheel: the RAC has found that around half of young people (aged 17-24) admit to using their mobile phone behind the wheel, the highest proportion of all age categories.

Fun Things to do in Kerry

Fun Things to do in Kerry

Apr 5, 2024 | Leisure, Sports/Travel, News & Events

What is there to do in Kerry?

Sports/ Clubs & Societies

  • (KRSP) Kerry Recreation and Sports Partnership Tralee – aims to increase participation in sport and physical activity and, thereby, the creation of a more active, more inclusive, and healthier society. Contact information 066 718 4776 / info@kerryrecreationandsports.ie
  • GAA Football clubs in Kerry- https://www.kerrygaa.ie/clubs/
  • Visit the Aquadome, an indoor pool with fun slides and water effects. Open 10am-10pm Monday – Friday and 10am-7pm weekends. https://aquadome.ie/
  • Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre Open 10am-10pm Monday – Thursday, 10am-9pm Friday and 10am-7pm weekends. https://killarney.coralleisure.ie/
  • Tralee Park runs happen every Saturday @9:30am. Take place at Tralee Town Park, Denny Street, Tralee, Co. Kerry.

There are multiple clubs and societies available in the MTU Munster Technological University. To view clubs https://www.mtu.ie/campus-life/clubs/ and to view societies https://www.mtu.ie/campus-life/societies/.

There are various clubs and societies depending on your interests. If you need more information contact KDYS Youth Information 087 7801575 / 085 8075996.

Entertainment

  • Bowling Buddies in Tralee https://bowlingbuddiestralee.com/
  • Omniplex Cinema located in Killarney and Tralee
  • Killarney Skate Park located beside Killarney Sports and Leisure club.

Adventure

In Kerry we are fortunate to have some of the most beautiful beaches, national parks and hidden gems dotted across the county. For more information visit https://www.discoverkerry.com/

Money & Time Management

Money & Time Management

Apr 5, 2024 | Employment

Money Management Skills

Being a student is supposed to be like a full-time job but without the benefits of a pay packet. Students’ financial situations vary so here are some simple methods to help budget for all financial circumstances.

Budgeting is a life skill to develop for all adults.

  1. Making a list of all incoming and outgoing expenditure is an excellent place to start.
  2. Break down your payments monthly if for example you get a SUSI loan and get it on a certain date every month then plan your finances around that date.
  3. Always spend the money on your ‘musts’ rent, bills, food and loan repayments, before your ‘wants’.
  4. If you are struggling to repay debts call MABS on 0761 07 2000

Check out our student financial supports HERE.

Money Management Skills

  1. Create a shopping list- Planning your meals ahead of time so you can budget exactly what is needed. Having a shopping list is an excellent idea because you are less likely to deviate and spend excessively. While items like milk, bread, fruit, and vegetables go off quickly, student staples like pasta, rice, tea, and canned goods have longer expiry dates (and can be bought in bulk, if there is a deal going).
  2. Don’t delay paying bills- if your Wi-Fi and electric are to be paid monthly. Have that money put aside so you don’t spend it unknowingly.
  3. Move money to a sperate. less accessible account, to avoid unnecessary spending.
  4. Always have a buffer- don’t budget to the very last cent. Have excess money in case something pops up, for example a trip home or new college supplies.
  5. Check to see where you can get student discounts and utilise that service.

Visit citizens information to learn more.

Time Management Skills

Procrastination is our way of coping with negative emotions associated with certain tasks, think boredom, anxiety, insecurity, frustration, self-doubt, etc. Everyone battles with this at some stage or another. Next time it creeps in try these tips:

  1. Practice self-compassion and allow yourself a few minutes to procrastinate.
  2. Motivation- follows actions, so thinking about the next action opens up the possibility of tackling your task in the present. For example, if you were to start on your paper, maybe the next action would be opening Word/PowerPoint/Excel.
  3. Make your temptations more inconvenient- If you are tempted to take a nap, work at a table somewhere far away from your dorm. If you are tempted to check social media, put your phone in a different room.

Other tips include:

  1. Maintain and develop a list of specific things to be done each day. Prioritise that list and complete the most urgent tasks at the start of day.
  2. Set incremental deadlines for longer-term projects.
  3. Work in 45 minutes to 1.5-hour chunks then take a break to avoid the exhaustion that comes from overexertion.
  4. Concentrate on one task at a time. (Lakein.A, How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life)
Tenant’s Rights & Obligations

Tenant’s Rights & Obligations

Apr 5, 2024 | Employment

Know your Tenant’s Rights & Obligations

Deciding to move away from home to gain more independence or maybe you are going to college/ doing a PLC / apprenticeship then this might be the first time you have lived away from home.  If you encounter problems regarding your accommodation you can contact the following:

  1. The PRTB Private Residential Tenancies Board – a system to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants. Check their website for more information HERE.
  2. Threshold is a registered charity whose aim is to secure a right to housing especially those facing poverty or exclusion. They also provide information about what you should know before signing a lease.
  • Threshold recommend before you move in do an inventory in writing of all the furniture and anything else in the house and get the landlord to sign this.
  • Take photographs of any wear or tear
  • Check that all appliances are in working order.

Students/ Tenants have the right to privacy so a landlord must have your permission to enter the house unless it is an emergency. Click to view their website HERE.

Rent Arrears: Ensure you are paying your rent on time and keep a record of the payments. If you cannot pay your rent, you landlord is obliged to issue you with a 14-day notice. If you are still unable to pay, they may issue you with a 28-day notice of termination. Most landlords will allow you to use your deposit as your last month’s rent.

Lease Agreements: If you sign a fixed term lease, be aware you cannot leave at any time you must pay rent for the specific period stated.

Deposit Retention: You may not receive your deposit in full or at all if

  • There is damage to the property.
  • Unpaid rent
  • Leave before lease agreement.
  • Do not give adequate notice of leave.
  • Do not hand back the keys at the end the lease agreement.

Minimum standards for private rented accommodation:

  • A four-ring hob with oven and grill
  • Provisions for effective and safe removal of fumes to the external air by means of an extractor fan.
  • A fridge and freezer
  • A microwave oven
  • A sink with drainage
  • Storage for food
  • Access to a washing facility