Opinion: A celebration of the core of youth work

The week itself is largely unimportant to me, though we always did special things because it coincided with Halloween and Bonfire Night. There was usually a celebration of some kind, often at my cottage project in Snowdonia - our last weekend of the year before winter. It was a time for the final bonfire, sometimes a small firework display, and ghost stories.

This year it will be significant because I will be attending the wedding of one of the long-standing part-time workers at my old club - St Francis Centre in Bournville, Birmingham. I first got to know her when she came to a summer play scheme in 1986. She was subsequently a regular youth club member and later became one of my co-workers. Many of the young people I worked with had previously been involved in the activities we offered for children and afterwards helped out with the club.