
Early days
I cut my professional youth work teeth in my early 20s at a youth club in Bedford. Our centre was open access, five nights a week, and the place was always buzzing. I remember well the strong relationships I formed. Many of these young people were facing rural deprivation, solvent abuse and unemployment, but I knew that youth work could help them to build positive habits which would improve their life chances. These young people instilled in me the belief that youth work can change young lives.
As a youth tutor in a secondary school in Suffolk, I saw first-hand the important role that youth work plays in mainstream education. I worked with local communities to set up youth provision, delivered classroom sessions on health, wellbeing and citizenship, provided pastoral support and supported teaching colleagues with youth work techniques to help young people engage with learning.
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