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NYA calls on youth workers to challenge public perceptions

1 min read Youth Work
Youth workers have been asked to change public perceptions of their role in society by taking part in a national storytelling competition.

The National Youth Agency (NYA) wants youth workers to post videos online that demonstrate the value of their work with young people.

An NYA survey of more than 2,000 adults revealed 23 per cent of people had experience helping out at a local youth association or youth club.

But Fiona Blacke, NYA’s chief executive, said despite the “huge amount of youth work going on, there isn’t enough public awareness of it”.

“We want to create a social movement behind youth work,” said Blacke, who hopes thousands of youth workers will take part.

“If we talk about carers, people get a picture in their head of what they do,” she continued.

“I don’t think we have the same kind of recognition of the value of the work youth workers do and the value they bring to young people’s lives.

“Yet every politician’s post bag is full of letters saying what communities think is important is helping young people to achieve their potential.”

Blacke said it was important to raise awareness of youth work at a time when many public sector services were under threat from government cuts.

“We need to build that sense of youth work as something that’s embedded in our culture as a country, and something we do naturally,” she said.

Raz Mohammed, a mobile unit youth worker for Kirklees Council in Yorkshire, described the campaign as “innovative and timely”.

“It will support youth workers nationally to raise the profile and importance of the role youth work plays in engaging and supporting young people from all backgrounds, especially those most in need from disadvantaged backgrounds or involved in antisocial behaviour,” said Mohammed.

“Now more than ever, youth work is required to support them to engage in civic and public life by equipping young people with life skills to have a chance at a meaningful life that will contribute to a greater society, particularly during these challenging times of austerity.”
 
The contributor of the best video will be awarded £300 to spend on a nominated youth work project and two years’ membership of the yet-to-be launched Institute for Youth Work.

Two runners up will each receive £150 to spend on a nominated youth work project. The results will be announced in the autumn.

Youth workers will be able to upload their videos to NYA’s YouTube and Facebook pages via the NYA website.

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