Sarah Simpson was one of them. As well as having a laugh with her mates, she would help out in the office and do other day-to-day chores.
In fact, she was doing the sort of work that normally falls to volunteers and youth workers, but as a socially conscious 13-year-old she was only too happy to help.
Now 17, Sarah has attended Holt Park Youth Centre in Leeds for about four years. "I was doing things like looking after the tuck shop and putting posters together and then I heard about SMIT training," says Sarah.
The SMIT (Senior Member Involvement Training) scheme has run in Leeds since 1998. The aim is to take young people like Sarah and give them an early insight into youth work.
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