The nature and scope of Youthcom's work has widened significantly since its formation in 1997. Whilst we acknowledge and seek earnestly to address real or perceived shortcomings in our work, we are also intensely proud of our achievements and the achievements of all those others with whom we work - particularly our young people and their leaders.

Youthcom has:

Established and developed ever widening contacts and relationships with parishes and faith based groups in the diocese;

Implemented a wide range of training programmes for workers in youth ministry;

Provided and participated in a range of parish, diocesan and international gatherings to celebrate faith;

Provided resources to parishes and faith based groups in the diocese;

Secured and facilitated access to funding for parish youth groups and parish youth centres;

Facilitated the drawing up of a five year plan for parish youth centres;

Represented the interests of young people and diocesan youth ministry interests on, and to, a very wide range of voluntary and statutory agencies;

Provided and participated in opportunities for young people of different traditions and cultural backgrounds to develop mutual understanding.

Each achievement is a result of a prodigious amount of work on the part of Youthcom staff; parish and diocesan youth leaders; volunteers on our Commission, and volunteers in all settings and aspects of youth ministry provision in Down and Connor. We thank all concerned and invite you to continue with us into what is set to be an exciting and highly challenging era for Ireland in general, and for the diocese of Down and Connor in particular.

We acknowledge and seek to empower the enormous vision, energy, gifts and talents of youth. We invite you to continue with us in asking of 'young people the effort of a noble and authentic adventure ... that of following the Gospel' (Pope John Paul II, 1995).