WHY IS YOUTH WORK IMPORTANT?
“Youth work takes a holistic approach with young people. It starts where they are at in terms of developmental or physical location – the relationship between young people and youth worker is entirely voluntary – youth work often only works because of the voluntary relationship. Many professionals work with young people, but principally, only in youth work is it the choice of the young person to engage with the professional. Youth Work seeks to promote young people’s personal and social development and enable them to have a voice, influence and place in their communities and society as a whole. It builds resilience and character and gives young people the confidence and life skills they need to live, learn, work and achieve.”
Youth work is a distinct educational process adapted across a variety of settings to support a young person’s personal, social and educational development.
Young people who choose to use youth work provision and engage with youth work professionals for many reasons; to meet friends, to have fun, to spend time in a safe space, to take part in specific activities, to build relationships with adults, or to get help and advice. Youth work therefore offers young people a wide range of activities and opportunities. These activities and the relationships that underpin them, promote young people’s personal and social development in various ways. Young people:
- increase their confidence and self-esteem while socialising with peers in a safe environment;
- develop new skills and interests through taking part in activities;
- develop planning, organisation and teamwork skills;
- develop their voice, influence and place in society;
- involvement in active participation and decision-making;
- improving health and wellbeing;
- explore values, beliefs, and ideas;
- increase their knowledge and understanding of issues affecting their lives;
- learn how to make use of services and information to make informed choices about their lives; and
- gain access to non-formal learning opportunities which help them fulfil their potential.
We provide a range of activities where young people learn confidence and soft skills; awareness and personal reflection. These activities give individuals the opportunity to think about what they need to move forward and make the right decisions for the future and successfully transition to adulthood and support them to engage and take part in their communities. We support and tackle topical issues and those prevalent to young people in Somerset including but not limited too; employment, personal aspiration, social mobility, self esteem, and health and wellbeing.
