Local youth service receives major funding grant from Toy Show Appeal
The service is one of 170 organisations to receive funding from the RTÉ Toy Show Grants
Sligo Leitrim Home Youth Liaison Service (HYLS) is one of the 170 organisations to receive funding from the latest round of RTÉ Toy Show Grants.
HYLS has received €40000 to help support their Autism Support Programme, which provides an autism support worker to provide support in schools in Sligo and one school in Leitrim.
The announcement of grants in June was made by the Community Foundation of Ireland, which works to turn donations by viewers of the Late Late Toy Show into actions on the ground which benefit children and their families.
The Sligo/Leitrim HYLS was established in 1989 to address the needs of young people across Sligo/Leitrim and Cavan.
The organisation only provided remote support in Leitrim until a physical office was opened in Carrick-on-Shannon last year.
The growth in demand for the service is a key reason the HYLS received the grant, with 36 autistic young people being referred to the service between May 2024 and June 2025.
“We are so grateful to the Toy Show Appeal Panel for selecting and believing in our service and, in particular, this programme.
“This financial support will enable us to continue to offer this service in Sligo and will also enable us to offer a level of support in Co. Leitrim.
“The young people and families that benefit from this programme will continue to get the encouragement, help and practical support needed to make a real-life impact and improve all their future outcomes.”