Opinion: Youth work never stops - even in summer

Now that I am somewhat more detached from everyday practice, I was impressed - though not surprised - by the repertoire of provision made by just a handful of my colleagues. At a recent meeting, a dozen or so described the work they had been doing. There had been residentials on narrowboats and in cottages, involvement with the Summer Connect programme and a start in planning international youth exchanges.

There had been collaboration with Positive Futures and discussions about contributing to personal and social education, engaging with the crime-prevention and school-inclusion agendas. One project had started its work through the Young People's Development Programme, concentrating extensively - though not exclusively - on health issues. Detached work, now more often described as street-based youth work, had continued, sustaining contact with those not in education, employment or training and addressing new concerns about alternatives to the imposition of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs). Enveloping all of this had been the continuation of bog standard, open-access youth club work and support for individual young people.