Several youth organisations have come together, to implore the government to release funds as promised in the 2019 manifesto. In its eleventh hour, those organisations that are left are coming together in a bid to put forward a solution.
Paul Oginsky, CEO of Vibe in Knowsley has worked in the youth sector for over thirty years and has witnessed the number of youth workers drop by 75% and with it, young people’s access to trusted support, positive activities, and safe spaces.
With colleagues across the sector, they have proposed a clarity of purpose, which they would like others to get behind:
In its essence, youth work is the expertise to support young people to develop and maintain healthy relationships across all areas of their lives
This is based on the belief that if young people can’t manage their relationships, struggle to find their place in their community, they can become unfulfilled and vulnerable to behaviours and situations that put them and society at risk. If this Government were to fund the sector based on a relational model, it will lower the cost of all other support services for young people and only complements the formal education system.
Paul, “We are not coming to the Government asking them to fix a problem, we are offering them a very clear solution – fund professional youth workers to support young people to develop healthy relationships. We accept that it’s possible the Government have not fully understood the purpose of youth work, and that’s no surprise when youth work can be many things to many people.
For too long, there has been far too much focus on venues, locations, activities, open access, targeted, indoor, outdoor, uniforms and settings. All of these are important but none of them is key, the most fundamental question is what is the youth sector aiming to achieve? The golden thread is that all youth organisations believe in using relational practice to supporting young people to develop and maintain their relationships, with themselves, with other people and with society and this is an enabler for life chances.”
Mervyn Kaye, CEO of Youth First in Lewisham: “I am concerned that one enabler for the massive cuts which have decimated youth work is that although youth workers support young people in so many diverse and brilliant ways we do so without coleascing around a clear simple statement of purpose which those outside of the sector and especially those holding the purse strings understand. Having this would greatly enhance the case for funding now and in the future.”
Brendan O’Keefe, CEO of Tri-ACT: “The pandemic will have a long term detrimental impact on this generation of young people. Some predictable, in terms of education and opportunities, others less so but they are likely to manifest in relation to mental and physical health. Building healthy relationships to guide young people through unprecedented times is not a 'nice to have', it is essential and a responsible government would recognise it as such.”
Together we are stronger, join us in supporting a clarity of purpose:
In its essence, youth work is the expertise to support young people to develop and maintain healthy relationships across all areas of their lives
Email essenceofyouthwork@vibeuk.org for more information.
With support from colleagues:
· SPACE
· Vibe
· Tri-ACT