CYP Now - Youth work: Open for the weekends - what do youth workers really think?

A CYP Now survey has found that while youth workers agree more Friday and Saturday night projects are needed, many fear they could lead to the closure of existing weekday schemes and risk compromising their professional integrity. Andy Hillier reports.

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"We already work many weekends and evenings. We are becoming a group of professionals who are isolated from friends and family due to working at opposite times of day."

This is just one of the hundreds of comments made by youth workers in response to CYP Now's Weekend Working Survey, timed to coincide with the government's Open Weekend initiative on 10 and 11 July to encourage more youth clubs to open on Friday and Saturday nights.

The survey finds youth workers are largely receptive to the idea of more facilities opening at weekends to meet the needs of young people living in their areas. Of the 311 workers who responded to the questionnaire, 69 per cent say increasing the number of weekend activities would be possible in their area and 46 per cent add that young people had asked for more facilities to be open at the weekend.

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