- What was your first contact with youth work?
Having left school for Swan Hunter shipyard, I'd been out of work for three years in the 80s recession. I started volunteering for a community project in Middlesbrough. It was a life-changing experience. A worker there saw something in me and encouraged me.
- Did it lead to a job?
I did a year with social services through the community programme. All this time I was becoming quite politicised, I realised that young people often get a raw deal, and that there was more for me than life behind a welder's mask. I signed up to do the certificate in youth and community work at Sunderland Polytechnic.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
