The NYA Blog
A new NYA
22 October 2009
It is not very often that you get to re-launch an organisation but this week that’s what we’ve been doing. This isn’t just a coat of new paint (though as you’ll see we have a new visual identity), it is a fundamental change in the way we go about our business.
We are employing new staff in marketing, business development and communications and building an associate network which draws on our strong relationship with local authorities and other key delivery agencies in the sector. It gives us the flexibility to provide short term and flexible secondment opportunities for the best staff in front line delivery, service management and strategic leadership roles, as well as the ability to offer high quality, expert consultancy services to those who need them. Alongside this we will continue to offer expertise and skills in youth policy and programme delivery.
We’re very aware of the challenges that will come with a reduction in public spending. Following our own restructuring this summer, staff, trustees and stakeholders I speak to all feel that we’ve emerged stronger from the experience and that we are well positioned to stand up to the challenges that may face public services in the current climate.
Although our focus has been on internal matters in the past few months, we are very clear that our organisational objectives remain firmly in support of youth work and the voice and influence of young people. What’s changed for us is that we now have a much stronger capability to understand what the sector needs and market our services to new audiences and to run campaigns.
We continue to work closely with government departments and youth sector organisations such as the Confederation of Heads of Young People's Services and the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services. In the next few weeks we’ll also be announcing a major new partnership with the private sector that will sit alongside our big DCSF-funded programmes on leadership and public perceptions of young people.
So, these are exciting but challenging times for us and we look forward to working with new and existing partners in the months and years ahead.
Visit the new NYA website at www.nya.org.uk and register with us to keep up-to-date.
Fiona Blacke is chief executive of the National Youth Agency. Follow Fiona on Twitter: www.twitter.com/fionabNYA