The surprising thing about No Name Clubs is not so much their unusual name, but that there are not many more of them in a country trying to point new generations towards healthy lifestyles and away from alcohol, drugs and pubs.
There are 21 No Name Clubs in Ireland today and perhaps the miracle is not alone that they have survived now for 50 years, but are gradually growing in number. The clubs engage 15-18 year-olds in fun weekly activities and longer term projects in areas they choose themselves.
Ethan Jordan (pictured above) enjoyed in his youth being a member of a club in Claremorris, Co. Mayo, and he sees a bright future: “Last year we had up to 500 members registered across the whole country so we’ve good reach.”
To date, over 11,000 people have benefitted across the country from being club members.
The organisation, which Ethan volunteered with for years and now works for full-time nationally as a support officer, has a new strategic plan and they will open more clubs once they can recruit more volunteers.
“We’re looking to hear from volunteers, anyone aged 18 to 80 or 90, people who are willing to make a difference in their community,” he said.
The aim is to establish more clubs to support more young people on a weekly basis, and for every five volunteers who step forward they create space for 20 young people to join as No Name Club members.
One of the appeals of clubs is that they are aimed primarily at young people wishing to enjoy themselves without alcohol.
“We don’t condone the use of either alcohol drugs or any other substances. We’re trying to hear to support young people to enjoy themselves without needing other substances,” said Ethan.
• Winners celebrating at the No Name Club Youth Awards held in May
Many clubs run discos, themed balls, quiz nights, health talks, talent shows, organised trips, fundraising and outdoor activities such as kayaking. Members get an opportunity to gain self-confidence, learn new skills and make lifelong friends around the country as they take part in national events such as the national youth awards.
Students who come from abroad say they wish they had such clubs back home.
“There are an absence of youth clubs in some countries. We have a lot of members now who come from Erasmus backgrounds who are here from the likes of Spain and Germany. Quite often they say ‘We only wish we had something like this in our own country when we go back’,” said Ethan.
“We’re very fortunate ourselves this summer in July we’re bringing 10 young people on an Erasmus exchange to Croatia,” he added.
“We want to make sure that young people continue to be heard,” he said, introducing Changing Ireland to two club members.
Club members like no alcohol aspect
Changing Ireland spoke recently to two members from Claremorris No Name Club.
Pearse Diskin told why he keeps returning to the club: “All my friends are there and everyone that I talk to is there. And you can do so much.”
He said No Name Clubs are good places to get to know new people.
“And everyone that you talk to doesn’t drink alcohol. It’s just a very good environment, because it teaches you not to drink alcohol when you’re older,” he said. “Nowadays more teenagers are starting to get addicted to alcohol and drugs and all that stuff. No Name Club really helps you stop doing that, and the more people that you’re friends with that don’t do that, it helps you not do that when you’re older,” he said.
• Cormac Walsh who spoke to Changing Ireland is seen on the right with two fellow No Name Club members at the launch of their national strategic plan earlier this year
Another member Cormac Walsh described walking into a No Name Club: “When you walk in the door of the local centre, the first thing you do is you sign your name on the book, you meet with the adults (volunteers) and you say hello and then you walk down and everybody kind of spreads themselves out across the club. There’s different things for everybody to do. And you can go talk to people that you know or people that you don’t know. You can do whatever you want, really.”
Cormac said that their club has a pool table, a Playstation 4, a Nintendo Wii, and an air hockey table, as well as board games and couches to relax in and socialise.
“There’s anything and everything really. Go for it,” he said.
Funding and find out more
Each club is run by volunteers and they received funding last year through the HSE and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The three founders behind No Name Clubs were a priest, a famous hurler and a garda. To find out more about them, to volunteer, or to start a club in your area, visit: https://nonameclub.ie/
Finally, if you’re wondering about the name, apparently the founders when discussing what to call their new initiative remarked that if they didn’t come up with a name it would be a no name club. And so they settled, ironically, on that as the name.
