News
Youth Work Week 2011 to Highlight Contribution of Youth Work to Strong Communities
19 August 2011
In response to the events of the past few weeks, the National Youth Agency has announced the theme for Youth Work Week 2011 as “Youth Work - Bringing Communities Together”.
Following feedback it had originally been the intention to focus this year’s theme on how youth work supported young people to develop useful skills for employability. However after the riots and disturbances, the National Youth Agency feels there is a need to focus on the impact of front line youth workers in working with young people and communities to foster positive relationships and a sense of belonging.
Fiona Blacke, National Youth Agency chief executive, comments: “This year’s Youth Work Week will be an opportunity to highlight to politicians and decision makers how investment in youth work can address community issues and enable young people to feel they have a stake in society. It will also show how youth workers can support young people to make a positive difference for themselves and others, counteracting the negative perceptions which seem to have been refuelled by the disturbances.
“If ever there was a time to highlight the positive contribution of youth work to healthy and sustainable communities it is now. After the riots I spoke to many service managers in both the voluntary and statutory sectors whose youth work staff had been out on the streets with young people during the week the riots were taking place. In many cases it was the fact that these youth workers had strong and positive relationships with local young people that prevented the riots spreading in to many more communities.
“I also know that young people themselves were active players in preventing further disturbances and in clearing up after the riots. Many of these young people were supported to speak out and take positive action by youth work organisations.
“Whether it’s through street work, brokering relationships with the police, intergenerational projects, supported volunteering and social action, conflict resolution or just providing places to go, things to do and people to speak to, youth work plays a major role in improving lives- without it communities are much the poorer. Let’s really shout about the benefits youth work delivers.”
Youth Work Week will from 31 October – 6 November 2011. A number of materials will be made available from the National Youth Agency website in September to support Youth workers and young people in showcasing their work.
To register your interest in receiving materials, email events@nya.org.uk