Editorial: A new look, but the values stay the same
Wednesday, January 8, 2003
It is hard to think of a time when young people and the people who work with young people had greater attention from policy makers, or when the unique skills and qualities of the people who work day-by-day with young people were in higher demand. They may not always be called youth workers, but they are fundamental to areas ranging from social inclusion and active citizenship to youth justice, health education, drug abuse prevention, urban regeneration, and of course Connexions. And, we all fervently hope, a rejuvenated statutory and voluntary sector youth service. There is more funding for youth-related programmes than most of us can remember. And there are more jobs out there for those who work with young people. But with that has come a fresh set of challenges: new organisational structures, a new working culture, and a demand to produce measurable results against set targets.All of these factors make this the right time to take Young People Now weekly. There is a greater demand for timely information. The changes sweeping the youth sector make the debates all the more urgent. The switch to a weekly publication and an increased circulation will make Young People Now more useful as a way to recruit staff and essential reading for anyone looking for a new job. We intend to build on the respect that Young People Now has gained over the past 14 years of being published monthly by the National Youth Agency. We have changed its look and feel, and we hope that makes it easier to use. Its values will not change. We value the professionalism of our readers and we will shout the importance of what you do from the pages of the magazine. We will reflect your views, and where appropriate the views of the young people with whom you work, and provide a forum for debate. We will strengthen your voice to central and local government policy makers. We will provide you with tools to help you do what you do even better, with weekly news, information, analysis, insights and practical resources.But we also need you, our readers, to make it work. Please tell us your stories, join the debates, and let us know what you think about the issues that we report on. Please tell us what you think of the new Young People Now. Call me on 020 8267 4767, or email stovin.hayter@haynet.com.Stovin Hayter, editor, Young People Now