Olympian Jack Woolley is encouraging youth groups to apply for funding.

Across the length and breadth of the country, youth groups are lifelines for communities.

They help foster connections, build resilience and offer a space for young people to develop.

Despite this vital work, youth groups are often under-funded, which is why Ireland's first ever Olympic Taekwondo athlete Jack Woolley is teaming up with Vhi to launch the Vhi Health and Wellbeing Fund in partnership with the Irish Youth Foundation.

The partnership is looking to support projects with a focus on strengthening resilience in young people and helping them manage anxiety. There is a special emphasis on early intervention and prevention work. This funding will be available to youth groups in Dublin, Cork, Kilkenny, Galway, Limerick and Donegal.

The launch coincides with new research from the Irish Youth Foundation which found that funding is the biggest challenge facing youth groups in Ireland. What's more, the same research found that 75% of youth group leaders report noticing anxiety among their service users "very often".

According to the report's respondents, mental health struggles - followed by social media - are the top two issues affecting young people's resilience today. Creative activities, peer support groups and mentoring and physical activities are among the most effective approaches in helping young people build resilience and manage anxiety, according to the surveyed youth group leaders.

Since 2020, the Vhi Health and Wellbeing Fund has helped 44 non-profit organisations to deliver projects centred around tackling anxiety and building resilience. 6,000 young people have been directly impacted through one-to-one project work from organisations in receipt of funding and approximately 200,000 young people have been indirectly benefited through funded initiatives.

At this year's launch, Jack Woolley spoke about the importance of building resilience in young people.

"I’m excited to join Vhi and the Irish Youth Foundation today to launch the 2025 Vhi Health and Wellbeing Fund," he said. "Growing up, my community and local youth groups played a huge role in supporting my Olympic dream and they have encouraged me through all the highs and lows of my career so far."

He added: "I've seen first-hand how important it is to maintain a healthy mind and body to reach your full potential. Vhi is providing vital funding to youth groups around Ireland who help young people manage symptoms of anxiety and build resilience and I'd encourage all youth groups to check it out and apply."

You can learn more about the initiative right here. Applications are open until midnight on 11th June.