Mary Marken

Mary Marken's NYA profile.

Mary was 'born and bred' in Belfast and her professional roots go back there to when she was a teenage volunteer in a school based voluntary action scheme. When Mary finished university, in 1973, she started work with the Voluntary Service Belfast, working with community, tenants' and ad hoc parents groups to run play schemes across both communities. An interest in developing training for the adult and teenage volunteers led to her volunteering as a tutor for the Northern Ireland Association of Youth Clubs and ultimately to moving there as Education and Training Officer. Mary had a wonderful five years - primarily designing and running residential personal development and professional leadership programmes for young people and adults.

From there Mary moved to England to take up the post of Head of Youth Work Unit at the then National Youth Bureau and three years later moved to Sheffield as Principal Youth Officer and then as Assistant Director of Education with responsibility for Young Children's and Youth Services, Adult Education and Support to the Voluntary Sector.

In 1997 Mary left, attracted by the autonomy, flexibility and creativity that she thought self-employment would bring. It did and Mary has now enjoyed seven years working with local authorities, Connexions Services, national organisations and the voluntary sector.

In addition to consultancy with organisations, Mary worked has as both a coach and as a therapist. Writing has played a large part in her work dating back to a first publication with NIAYC on work with girls and young women. It has all made for a very rich experience. Mary even get lots of opportunity to practise my youth work skills with her 13-year-old son and his mates - with varying degrees of success!

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