The National Youth Agency - Youth Work Week 2004

Youth Work Week 2004

What happened in Youth Work Week 2004?

Youth Work Week 2004 had a highly successful theme of The Best of Health. You can still download the pack for week by clicking on the icon below. We will also leave on the site a listing showing some of the ways in which youth organisations planned to celebrate the week.

Also of interest...

Youth Work Week Pack 2004

Bradford up a week of events including an Exercise Bike Marathon that saw the Lady Mayor as the first "bike-rider" in a fund-raising activity for her Appeal. The day-long event had music from a local youth project and was used to promote local health projects as well as forthcoming elections to the Bradford and Keighley Youth Parliament. Bradford Community Broadcasting attended various events throughout the week with live interviews being broadcast enabling young people to express their views on health issues and their involvement with Bradford Youth Service.

Other events included a 24 mile "Three Peaks" Walk, on Sunday, 7th November. Teams of young people were given responsibility to raise money for their choice of local or national groups and to research their health needs for this demanding trek. Also planned was a disability awareness event in Keighley, an Asian girls health day in Laisterdyke finishing with the breaking of fast. The authority's Upfront Team provided resource packs on sexual health for the week to all units to enable youth workers to raise awareness.

'Art Attack' is a Forest Heath Borough Council project that saw young people working with an artist to construct a large scale piece of temporary art in the squash court of a leisure centre. The piece focused on healthy eating as the theme, using fruit and vegetables to make a picture which could be viewed by visitors from the balcony that overlooks the court. Digital pictures were taken that may be used to develop a health promotion postcard.

In Wales, youth charity Plant Dewi used the week to launch a series of radio dramas that focused on the issue of stress among isolated rural young people. The plays were developed by young people working with a writer following a £6,000 grant from the Nationwide Foundation. They were featured during Youth Work Week on BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru.

In Ribble Valley, Lancashire, special events providing taster sessions of adventurous and sporting activities were planned at leisure centres in Longridge and Roefield. The London Borough of Islington planned a health event and recruited young people to produce healthy snacks for the event following a similar approach at a highly successful sports day.

In Crewe and Nantwich, the Borough Council's Community Development Team co-ordinated a joint agency event that provided taster sessions to promote local clubs and organisations which provide activities for young people. Information and guidance was available to link in with the Best of Health theme including :

Nutrition, Exercise and Obesity
Sexual Health
Smoking, Drinking and Drug use
Mental Health and Drug Use

Amanda Jones of Manchester and District Housing Association one of the agencies funding the event said in the run up to the event:

"We are extremely keen to be involved in supporting this event. This is a great opportunity for agencies to work together for the benefit of the youth within our neighbourhoods and communities. I am confident that the day will be a great success - and begin to build bridges that allow us to engage with the young people and address some of the issues important to them". A programme ranging from wheelchair basketball to rugby union, dance, drama and nail painting was put together at the Victoria Centre in Crewe.

Stockport Youth Service's Health Education Team, ran a 'Lifestyle Roadshow' across the borough with a range of activities and information on physical, emotional and sexual health and on counselling, advice and information. The service also launched a 'Health Newszine' Best of Health about its work aimed at other agencies, professionals and elected members. Relevant articles were also carried on the front page of the website http://www.stockportyouthservice.co.uk/

The NYA's Young People's Development Programme launched its website on 1 November. The programme supports some 27 pilot programmes bringing a holistic approach to addressing risk behaviour by 13 to 15 year olds, especially relating to teenage pregnancy and substance misuse. The new site offers explains the background, details of health-related news and events and links to all the pilots. The site is available at www.nya.org.uk/ypdp

Manchester Youth Arts Network held a seminar on 2 November at Manchester's City Art Gallery. Speakers presented their practice in youth arts and health followed by an opportunity to debate. The free event was for artists, youth workers, and youth arts projects across Manchester. The aim was to provide a forum for critical debate about the process of engaging young people through arts activities and link in to the National Youth Work Week activities and raise the profile of Youth Arts in Manchester. (http://www.manchesteryoutharts.org/)

Wellingborough Area Youth Team in Northamptonshire organized a school half-term event to promote The Best of Health message. The team have been proactive in encouraging local agencies and food stores, to share information in a fun and creative way on the day, in order to:

increase knowledge and understanding of health issues
raise awareness of the effects of alcohol/drugs and smoking
raise awareness of sexual health
raise awareness of mental health
raise awareness of healthy eating and exercise

Dance mats, free fruit, art activities, DJ equipment and plenty of freebies were on offer to young people at this free, interactive event.

Gateshead Youth and Community Learning Service spread its Youth Work Week celebrations over a three week period to take in special events for Local Democracy Week and the local school half-term week. Things kicked off on 18 October with the announcement of election results to Gateshead Youth Assembly, with other events following such as a presentation to councillors by young people from the five districts of Gateshead of young people's responses to a consultation on the development of a local Youth Charter. Youth workers spent a day travelling the town's Metro system with information promoting both democracy and health. World Cup hero Sir Bobby Charlton addressed a Sportsmen's dinner to raise funds for youth work in Blaydon, while young people from across Gateshead took part in a Night Exercise at Gibside Estate, undertaking a series of health-related exercises and challenges at checkpoints. The Interface project held a weekend residential for young women on the theme of sexual health and relationships. For two weeks there was a display at Gateshead Civic Centre celebrating work with young people.

Nottingham city Youth Service in conjunction with Millennium Volunteers staged a 'Health Jam' event on 6^th November 2004 in Nottingham's Market Square. A main stage hosted local young talent across a variety of mediums including bands, singers, DJ's, poets and drama performances. In addition there were numerous stalls, many of them highlighting youth-led projects and hosting a wide range of health-related organizations. There were also a number of workshops for young people to participate in, dealing with issues from sexual health to healthy eating to youth participation through youth councils.

David McWilliams, head of Nottingham City Youth Service comments: 'It's events like this that reminds us all of the positive contributions that young people make across the city and their local communities. National Youth Work Week is all about acknowledging and celebrating young peoples achievements and challenging the negative portrayal of young people in the media. I never cease to be amazed at the talent, energy and commitment shown by the young citizens of this city and the dedication and skill of all those who work on their behalf'

Saziso Phiri aged 17, from Nottingham Millennium Volunteers added: 'It's good that young people are organising an event on the market square because other young people are more likely to get involved than if it was done by older people. Its not just about health issues, its about having a good time. And it's different. Having health stalls on the Square might make it easier to get information because a lot of young people may be too scared to go to the doctors or the clinic or they may just not know where to go for information.'

In Southend, youth workers visited the children's ward at Southend Hospital throughout Youth Work Week and offered the chance to contribute to a special issues of the award-winning youth magazine Vibe. Five thousand copies of the magazine will be distributed through schools and youth organisations.

Michael Bracey, Head of Southend's Youth and Connexions Service, said 'When we heard that health was to be the theme of this year's Youth Work Week we were delighted as we have a longstanding relationship with our health colleagues. Since 1996 we have co-funded a youth worker in partnership with health, and enjoy a really positive relationship with the Southend on Sea Primary Care Trust'.

Local youth work Jackie Byram added: 'Young people need access to high quality health advice and information so they can make informed choices. Vibe gets important health messages across in a way young people can understand and engage with.'

In Plymouth a group of professionals from PASH (Positive Action for Sexual Health) have got together to ensure that the third annual Women's Health Fair is during National Youth Work Week and is inclusive of young people. The event featured a free therapies, interactive programme of musical and interactive events (drumming, singing, open mic sections, local bands etc) and a crèche, café, workshops and lots of stalls and agencies promoting their services to young women. The event was exclusively for young women of all ages and backgrounds and seeks to promote a broader and more positive view of health.

In Somerset the Sedgemoor Area Team, with the help of young people organised a healthy drinking cocktail bar that toured the area during the week providing an opportunity for young people to explore health issues related to over-consumption of alcohol and provided them with the opportunity to have a go a designing and making Fruit Smoothie Cocktails.

A healthy eating after school café, 'Chill Chat Café' was launched at the Rollercoaster Youth Hub. Young people had the chance to have a cheap healthy snack and the chance to take part in a whole range of activities to help them wind down after school. Chit Chat Café will include everything from team building games to music sessions to just chilling out with friends. The first of the Sedgemoor Area Adventure clubs was launched at Axbridge Youth Centre. The adventure clubs are targeted at young people in the 13 - 19 age range who may want to have a go at a whole range of outdoor activities ranging from hill walking and mountain biking to rock climbing and white water rafting. A key feature of the Adventure Club is that the programme is designed by the members and is supported by Youth Workers and an outdoor activities coach provided by the Somerset Active Sports Partnership.

A multi media project, code name SHUSH was launched at the Rollercoaster Youth Hub, on Parkway in Bridgwater. The project has a Healthy Living theme and will run for up to twelve weeks. SHUSH will link separate pieces poetry and music composed by young people into one flowing story accompanied by video and animation. Young people in year 11 at Robert Blake Science College had the chance to discover a range of methods for staying healthy, both physically and mentally, leading up to and during the GCSE examinations. The series of one hour workshops which began during Youth Work Week will cover a range of topics from relaxation techniques to effective revision planning to healthy eating and what makes the best 'brain food'.

For more information on Youth Work Week events and all other Somerset County Youth Service activities contact John Calvert, Sedgemoor Area Youth Coordinator on 01278 422976 or visit the County Youth Service website: http://www.somersetyouth.co.uk/

Back to this year's theme >>