It's trustee week! So this blog is all about being a trustee, the good and the bad, what it means to me and why it makes me tick.
Most of you probably know that I am a trustee of a national charity, which has around 525,000 members aged 6-96 across the UK and further afield.
After much thought and consideration, and working with the headquarters as a volunteer I decided to apply to become a trustee - which in my position means that I had to go through an election process for one of the three positions on the Board which are reserved for young people. All the candidates who apply for the positions are very well qualified and enthusiastic young people. I was voted on to the Board in September 2011 for a term of three years. Whilst on the Board, we are each expected to serve additionally on a committee as a trustee representative. In my first year I was a member of the operations committee and also part of the delegation to the British Youth Council. In addition to being on these committees, I attended a fundraising event, the national St George's Day service, and was part of a task and finish group looking at induction and appraisal processes.
So let's test my maths now...(figures include travel, reading papers, and stop over times! - and are approx)
4 x Board meetings a year = 88 hours
4 x Ops meetings = 82 hours
BYC delegation = 121 hours
Fundraiser = 10 hours
St George's Service = 11 hours
Task and finish group = 20 hours
Trustee Induction = 24 hours
National AGM = 13 hours
Near the end of my first year I was also asked to join the Nominations committee...
Nominations meetings = 12 hours
So for the year Sept 2011 to Sept 2012 that totals = 381 hours or 15.87 full days, or 50.8 working days (I only get 25 days holiday a year) ...
Sounds a lot doesn't it?
It is.
On top of this, the constant "thud" of brown envelopes coming through my door (to the point where my Mum can guess which meeting I have based on the weight of the papers - I kid you not, she's incredible!), there is the added worry of what "Trustee" actually means... Google tells me that it is "An individual person or member of a board given control or powers of administration of property in trust with a legal..." (thankfully it cuts out here!)
So with the weight of an organisation on your shoulders, over half a million members, lots of money, budgets (which I can only understand thanks to the wonderful Director of Finance and her "blue columns"), train journeys to London, reading papers, missing out on parties at the weekend...is it worth it?
Well of course it is. As a youth worker I wanted to volunteer at this level of the movement to be able to ensure that young peoples opinions are taken into account when we make decisions about them. I wanted to advocate for the 425,000 young people who make up most of our membership, and as a result I have had input into planning strategy and agreeing projects to deliver the work we want to do, always keeping in the forefront of my mind the young people who this will actually effect.
Sure there are other benefits to being a trustee, and as a young trustee I do know that we can come under some scrutiny as to the value we bring. Naturally I am biased here, but we bring a very different energy and first hand knowledge to the role which the other trustees can't. At my induction I had lunch with our Chief Executive and told him I was worried I couldn't bring anything valuable to the table, and he simply told me that "as a young person in a youth organisation you have the trump card". Boards need a wide range of skills and a good balance of expertise in a spectrum of areas to be able to work, and so each has their part to play.
The beauty of being a Trustee is that I can literally tell people running our organisation what young people think, and I have the chance to do things hat I wouldn't otherwise ever had the chance to experience. As a trustee I have addressed audiences, represented our movement externally, met the Duke of Kent, and learnt skills in how to work on a professional level which I would otherwise not have done in my current job. Being a trustee sets me up well to apply for jobs and understand things that had previously been beyond my reach. I have had wonderful experiences, made good friends, input to the direction of a large charity, and even had fun doing it.
I know of a trustee of a local charity that I work for who has discovered her love for young people, and talent of working with them, as a result of becoming a trustee (and a very active one at that!)
Trusteeship can offer something to everyone, and as long as you have a real love for the organisation then it needn't be a chore - maybe combine it with making friends and you might even enjoy yourself!
But for me, being a trustee is all about the young people.
Tuesday, 6 November 2012
Friday, 28 September 2012
"But why"
Something very interesting came out in a conversation today. Sat around three tables are a group of adults who have been around the circuit for a while, in a number of roles and guises, and right now are potentially considered the "leading thinkers" in their field.
So having an after dinner discussion about how we can develop good youth involvement practice is a fairly standard exercise and one which most in the room are used to. Conversation bounces around the different models and methods, bats between the idea of governance and programme, and dances across tokenism. Standard values are shared in the room; the usual conversation emerges. Some people throw in some hand grenades to gauge a reaction or challenge a standard, but for the large there is good discussion about progression along the route of youth involvement.
One point did grab my attention more so than any other, and it was this:
"but why?"
A good question. Why are we investing so much money, resource, and time into youth involvement? What is the point? Is this just something we can put on our CV that we can tick this box?
As a youth worker, I am constantly challenged, and actually thrive from being questioned as it encourages me to step back and engage in the reflective practice which is so highly regarded and rarely utilised.
Why do we want to do youth involvement? Yes it is aspirational. Yes it ticks the box that Article 12 of the UN rights of a child set out for us. Yes it looks good.
But what will we benefit from doing it? I have no facts to answer this question so will use my experience as a guide.
By engaging young people in youth involvement (under all guises - asking a simple question to sitting at a board table), we are creating intergenerational dialogue. Dialogue between an adult who is in a trusted position of responsibility, with a young person. Adults in this position have the key to be able to change lives through their interactions with young people, and I believe that the core of quality youth work is voluntary participation. This essentially means that a young person makes a choice to engage or not, and cannot be forced. The magic key that fits alongside this is building positive relationships.
Let's use an example of a youth group leader, they could easily have a growing provision which works well and young people come to (and indeed keep coming back to). But for me, the thing we are analysing here is not numbers, but impact. Take the same group, but the leader takes time to consult their participants with what they want to do - the programme is then tailored to meet the needs of the group and young people. In meeting their needs, we are actively promoting their development through one way or another. A young person could suggest they want support around finance and budgeting - the leader provides a game or intervention that gives that young person the chance to explore finance in a safe way, and then leaves that experience having developed in some way.
Another reason for youth involvement is that by opening the dialogue to become a two way conversation we are setting an example of listening and responding. If we listen to what someone wants and then provide it for them, we are building a relationship of trust - for some young people, this may be the only positive relationship they have with an adult.
If we stretch the conversation further, and actually work with a young person to develop something that is tailored to meet their needs, and is actually delivered by themselves then they have the chance to learn a whole range of skills which are not taught in school - learning by making mistakes, developing confidence, learning to plan an activity and complete risk assessments.. It could be anything, but these skills are distinctly lacking in a school curriculum where young people are fed information in a didactic manner. Opening a conversation allows for challenge and development.
In my opinion, it is worth identifying why we are doing something to justify the expense before we do it. Having a purpose to hang our good intentions off helps, but regards youth involvement it is the outcome and not the number that is the key here. If we get it right we will reap the benefits of growing a provision at an even bigger rate, because the quality of delivery and the topic of delivery infill be improved. We also run the risk of "skilling up" young people who could then become leaders themselves and give something back. Then we will be able to count numbers.
To me, for an organisation that promotes the personal, intellectual, social and spiritual development of young people - youth involvement seems like an obvious next step.
However, unless we try we will never know. Maybe now is the time to take a deep breath, and get on with it.
So having an after dinner discussion about how we can develop good youth involvement practice is a fairly standard exercise and one which most in the room are used to. Conversation bounces around the different models and methods, bats between the idea of governance and programme, and dances across tokenism. Standard values are shared in the room; the usual conversation emerges. Some people throw in some hand grenades to gauge a reaction or challenge a standard, but for the large there is good discussion about progression along the route of youth involvement.
One point did grab my attention more so than any other, and it was this:
"but why?"
A good question. Why are we investing so much money, resource, and time into youth involvement? What is the point? Is this just something we can put on our CV that we can tick this box?
As a youth worker, I am constantly challenged, and actually thrive from being questioned as it encourages me to step back and engage in the reflective practice which is so highly regarded and rarely utilised.
Why do we want to do youth involvement? Yes it is aspirational. Yes it ticks the box that Article 12 of the UN rights of a child set out for us. Yes it looks good.
But what will we benefit from doing it? I have no facts to answer this question so will use my experience as a guide.
By engaging young people in youth involvement (under all guises - asking a simple question to sitting at a board table), we are creating intergenerational dialogue. Dialogue between an adult who is in a trusted position of responsibility, with a young person. Adults in this position have the key to be able to change lives through their interactions with young people, and I believe that the core of quality youth work is voluntary participation. This essentially means that a young person makes a choice to engage or not, and cannot be forced. The magic key that fits alongside this is building positive relationships.
Let's use an example of a youth group leader, they could easily have a growing provision which works well and young people come to (and indeed keep coming back to). But for me, the thing we are analysing here is not numbers, but impact. Take the same group, but the leader takes time to consult their participants with what they want to do - the programme is then tailored to meet the needs of the group and young people. In meeting their needs, we are actively promoting their development through one way or another. A young person could suggest they want support around finance and budgeting - the leader provides a game or intervention that gives that young person the chance to explore finance in a safe way, and then leaves that experience having developed in some way.
Another reason for youth involvement is that by opening the dialogue to become a two way conversation we are setting an example of listening and responding. If we listen to what someone wants and then provide it for them, we are building a relationship of trust - for some young people, this may be the only positive relationship they have with an adult.
If we stretch the conversation further, and actually work with a young person to develop something that is tailored to meet their needs, and is actually delivered by themselves then they have the chance to learn a whole range of skills which are not taught in school - learning by making mistakes, developing confidence, learning to plan an activity and complete risk assessments.. It could be anything, but these skills are distinctly lacking in a school curriculum where young people are fed information in a didactic manner. Opening a conversation allows for challenge and development.
In my opinion, it is worth identifying why we are doing something to justify the expense before we do it. Having a purpose to hang our good intentions off helps, but regards youth involvement it is the outcome and not the number that is the key here. If we get it right we will reap the benefits of growing a provision at an even bigger rate, because the quality of delivery and the topic of delivery infill be improved. We also run the risk of "skilling up" young people who could then become leaders themselves and give something back. Then we will be able to count numbers.
To me, for an organisation that promotes the personal, intellectual, social and spiritual development of young people - youth involvement seems like an obvious next step.
However, unless we try we will never know. Maybe now is the time to take a deep breath, and get on with it.
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
"Youngsters have a new place to go as youth club opens"
The young people of Lee on Solent have their youth club back, so tells the evening news tonight. But it could have been a very different story...
The cuts have had a huge effect on all of society but particularly young people, and over the last two years I have faced redundancy three times and somehow managed to survive, but had a job change as a result of streamlining services.
The youth provision in the area was commissioned to local charities to deliver and unfortunately there was simply not enough money in the pot to stretch to Lee on Solent.
But when has money ever stopped anyone from doing what they believe in?
By making enough noise and causing enough fuss, and sticking up for what I believe in (young people!) we managed to secure the building - save it from being abandoned. This was only possible due to local councillors getting on board and shouting our case in the right places and to the right people.
A local community group provided a background to support the project and apply for funding to deliver youth work from the building.
A local councillor gave £1000 from his devolved budget to allow us to renovate the building and buy much needed resources.
Young workers volunteered to give their time in attending meetings and running a consultation with local young people through the Gosport Youth Council. They chose furniture, artworks the walls, and tidied the building - as well as sitting GCSEs and A Levels!
The local college provided support in giving us a group of students to paint the end hall and freshen up the building - simple things like sorting out board games and cleaning the cupboards.
Last Friday we had the grand opening for our new youth centre, and we had support from lots of local people and the charity I work for as well as our mP and the local councillors.
This was a long process, from start to finish about 8 months in the making... But it goes to prove that when in need, a community can pull together and produce something remarkable. The part we all played was small in the scale but will hopefully reap benefits for hundreds of young people and the local community, in giving a safe space for young people to access youth workers. Through this process all I did was spend money on nice things and do lots of cleaning and removals. However, being thanked publicly by the local community was truly humbling and made me feel like my time was not wasted - the hours I spent volunteering, after a long day at work and then heading off to a brick built hut to make a safe place for young people, all that work was valued by the local community. I have played my part and made a positive impact in the community in which I live, through working with young people in partnership with adults and supporting those young people to become active citizens - giving something back to their community. Does this all sound familiar?
It should do.
Over 100,000 adults do this every week, for one of the largest co-educational charities in the UK, who provide nearly £5m of public service to the UK by training volunteers to give them the skills to work with young people or support the process. A charity which I happen to be a trustee of, and whose work I support implicitly.
So on Friday at our big launch, when I was asked why I did it, what compelled me to spend so much of my time creating this youth centre and bringing it back to life.. I answered "because I'm a scout".
www.scouts.org.uk/join
The cuts have had a huge effect on all of society but particularly young people, and over the last two years I have faced redundancy three times and somehow managed to survive, but had a job change as a result of streamlining services.
The youth provision in the area was commissioned to local charities to deliver and unfortunately there was simply not enough money in the pot to stretch to Lee on Solent.
But when has money ever stopped anyone from doing what they believe in?
By making enough noise and causing enough fuss, and sticking up for what I believe in (young people!) we managed to secure the building - save it from being abandoned. This was only possible due to local councillors getting on board and shouting our case in the right places and to the right people.
A local community group provided a background to support the project and apply for funding to deliver youth work from the building.
A local councillor gave £1000 from his devolved budget to allow us to renovate the building and buy much needed resources.
Young workers volunteered to give their time in attending meetings and running a consultation with local young people through the Gosport Youth Council. They chose furniture, artworks the walls, and tidied the building - as well as sitting GCSEs and A Levels!
The local college provided support in giving us a group of students to paint the end hall and freshen up the building - simple things like sorting out board games and cleaning the cupboards.
Last Friday we had the grand opening for our new youth centre, and we had support from lots of local people and the charity I work for as well as our mP and the local councillors.
This was a long process, from start to finish about 8 months in the making... But it goes to prove that when in need, a community can pull together and produce something remarkable. The part we all played was small in the scale but will hopefully reap benefits for hundreds of young people and the local community, in giving a safe space for young people to access youth workers. Through this process all I did was spend money on nice things and do lots of cleaning and removals. However, being thanked publicly by the local community was truly humbling and made me feel like my time was not wasted - the hours I spent volunteering, after a long day at work and then heading off to a brick built hut to make a safe place for young people, all that work was valued by the local community. I have played my part and made a positive impact in the community in which I live, through working with young people in partnership with adults and supporting those young people to become active citizens - giving something back to their community. Does this all sound familiar?
It should do.
Over 100,000 adults do this every week, for one of the largest co-educational charities in the UK, who provide nearly £5m of public service to the UK by training volunteers to give them the skills to work with young people or support the process. A charity which I happen to be a trustee of, and whose work I support implicitly.
So on Friday at our big launch, when I was asked why I did it, what compelled me to spend so much of my time creating this youth centre and bringing it back to life.. I answered "because I'm a scout".
www.scouts.org.uk/join
Sunday, 16 September 2012
Emlyn Trophy Presenting Officer speech
Good afternoon everyone, it is a real pleasure to have been here this year and also to be the presenting officer. I took part myself in the Emlyn trophy ten years ago, which does make me feel old when I realise that I am 14 years older than some of you here!
I wanted to say how proud I am of you all. You have all been here and taken part in a county competition, and whilst there are trophies, for me the participation is the most important part of the weekend.
As I have been walking around and chatting to some of you, I have gotten a feel for what you have been up to, and what have been the highlights of the weekend.
Some of the answers I got were as simple as being allowed to cut the chicken for the curry, because they don't do it at home. Someone else said they liked using the axe because their Patrol Leader trusted them to do it. Another told me they enjoyed doing the challenge and seeing the whole campsite.
One of the best things about this competition is that you develop new skills, experience leadership and teamwork, and learn to look after yourselves. For me, this is an incredible achievement which you should all be proud of.
Something I love about Emlyn is that you always get to try new things, this weekend I had lemon and cheese popcorn, saw a magic blanket, watched our county commissioner be an undertaker, and danced to someone playing anarchy on an accordion. Even when you get to being as old as me, and I am sure your leaders will agree, you still are surprised by the things that young people come up with. It amazes me, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for being so energetic, fun, and friendly.
One of the things that has impressed me this weekend is your commitment to scouting, and commitment to achieving - as I have walked around, I've had chats with some of you about what you can do next, some of you are excited about joining explorers, some of you want to do your chief scout award, and some of you are thinking about the Japan jamboree in 2015. This is a credit to yourself and to your leaders who have supported and inspired you and I hope will continue to do so.
For me it doesn't matter where you come in the competition, it only matters that you came. You took part, you learnt new skills, you made friends, and you had fun. That is the most important part of scouting, and that is what I want you to tell all your friends when you go back to school tomorrow. Tell them what you did, and be proud to be a scout.
I wanted to say how proud I am of you all. You have all been here and taken part in a county competition, and whilst there are trophies, for me the participation is the most important part of the weekend.
As I have been walking around and chatting to some of you, I have gotten a feel for what you have been up to, and what have been the highlights of the weekend.
Some of the answers I got were as simple as being allowed to cut the chicken for the curry, because they don't do it at home. Someone else said they liked using the axe because their Patrol Leader trusted them to do it. Another told me they enjoyed doing the challenge and seeing the whole campsite.
One of the best things about this competition is that you develop new skills, experience leadership and teamwork, and learn to look after yourselves. For me, this is an incredible achievement which you should all be proud of.
Something I love about Emlyn is that you always get to try new things, this weekend I had lemon and cheese popcorn, saw a magic blanket, watched our county commissioner be an undertaker, and danced to someone playing anarchy on an accordion. Even when you get to being as old as me, and I am sure your leaders will agree, you still are surprised by the things that young people come up with. It amazes me, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for being so energetic, fun, and friendly.
One of the things that has impressed me this weekend is your commitment to scouting, and commitment to achieving - as I have walked around, I've had chats with some of you about what you can do next, some of you are excited about joining explorers, some of you want to do your chief scout award, and some of you are thinking about the Japan jamboree in 2015. This is a credit to yourself and to your leaders who have supported and inspired you and I hope will continue to do so.
For me it doesn't matter where you come in the competition, it only matters that you came. You took part, you learnt new skills, you made friends, and you had fun. That is the most important part of scouting, and that is what I want you to tell all your friends when you go back to school tomorrow. Tell them what you did, and be proud to be a scout.
Saturday, 15 September 2012
The Scout Association - reflection for AGM
Good morning everyone, last year I came here for my first time and was elected to serve on the board of trustees, which has been a massive honour, and I have had the good fortune to have taken part in so many opportunities this year, but I wanted to share with you just one for our reflection today.
Within my role I have served this year on the scout delegation to the British Youth Council. I understand that at 24 years old I am just about clutching on to my youth, and stand as the oldest member on the 10 person delegation.
For those of you who don’t know much about them, they are a group of young people aged 14-25 who aim to represent our members around the table of the British Youth Council. Each year the young delegates attend an induction weekend, national evetns, and the BYC annual council meeting.
This year’s annual council meeting was a policy making meeting - all BYC members are allowed to submit up to 3 motions which are debated on and voted either into or out of the BYC manifesto.
Our delegates carefully prepared 3 motions this year, based on evidence collected from local and national consultations all organised by the delegation. The final 3 motions were: Support for uniformed organisations, Support for informal international opportunities, and support for skills from informal learning. Im sure you will agree that these motions are all in line with our ethos, and I assure you it took a great deal of conference calls and rewriting to whittle it down to these three which not only represented our members but also our association and our beliefs.
Two weeks ago today, our delegates, supported by staff, attended the largest ever BYC Annual Council Meeting on record in Cardiff. If you can, try to picture a room twice this big, with nearly 300 people from all parts of the UK and different organisations, including youth workers, youth councils, uniformed groups, policitcal youth groups and faith groups.
Now, without wishing to get into the politics of it all, the ACM threw up a few challenges and one of the motions we submitted was amended and fell by the wire. It would have been easy at this point for our young delegates to lose heart and lose face, however they did not.
Our delegation stood strong and our youngest delegate took to the stage to propose our next motion, in a room full of strangers with lights shining in her face and on her tiptoes in order to reach the microphone. This time, our motion passed unamended and unanimously. The young person returned to the table and whispered “That was amazing”.
When I joined the BYC delegation, I was told by someone in this very room that it would be a good development opportunity and would serve me well in later years, following in the footsteps of many of the people whom I respect the most. At that point, I think I just shrugged it off a little, if I am totally honest. But now, having witnessed what it is like to be part of an empowering group of young people and seeing that one young person suck up all the courage within herself to address a bigger and scarier audience than this one, now, I get it.
2 weeks ago in Cardiff I was put through my paces, fighting a battle which I couldn’t win when we proposed a motion to support uniformed youth organisations. That day I came away feeling angry, disappointed, frustrated. Empowered, valued, and proud.
Proud that I stood up for what I believed in.
Proud that I was able to represent the half a million members of the scout association, on an external platform.
Proud of the young people, who smiled and whistled in difficulties.
Proud of a delegation who stood united and strong whilst facing many challenges.
Proud of the impact that we have, training volunteer leaders to support our young people, inputting millions of pounds of youth services to the public.
Proud that we are a movement that embraces change and accepts individuals differences.
Proud to be part of an organisation that trusts its young people and empowers them to speak up on their behalf.
Proud of the uniform that I wear which unites 32 million people worldwide.
Proud to be a scout.
So, as we look towards our vision for 2018, I would like to ask you all what makes you proud to be a scout? How can you empower the young people you support? How can we value our volunteers? What is it that makes you go back to your friends and colleagues, and say to them, "That was amazing”.
Sent from my iPad
Within my role I have served this year on the scout delegation to the British Youth Council. I understand that at 24 years old I am just about clutching on to my youth, and stand as the oldest member on the 10 person delegation.
For those of you who don’t know much about them, they are a group of young people aged 14-25 who aim to represent our members around the table of the British Youth Council. Each year the young delegates attend an induction weekend, national evetns, and the BYC annual council meeting.
This year’s annual council meeting was a policy making meeting - all BYC members are allowed to submit up to 3 motions which are debated on and voted either into or out of the BYC manifesto.
Our delegates carefully prepared 3 motions this year, based on evidence collected from local and national consultations all organised by the delegation. The final 3 motions were: Support for uniformed organisations, Support for informal international opportunities, and support for skills from informal learning. Im sure you will agree that these motions are all in line with our ethos, and I assure you it took a great deal of conference calls and rewriting to whittle it down to these three which not only represented our members but also our association and our beliefs.
Two weeks ago today, our delegates, supported by staff, attended the largest ever BYC Annual Council Meeting on record in Cardiff. If you can, try to picture a room twice this big, with nearly 300 people from all parts of the UK and different organisations, including youth workers, youth councils, uniformed groups, policitcal youth groups and faith groups.
Now, without wishing to get into the politics of it all, the ACM threw up a few challenges and one of the motions we submitted was amended and fell by the wire. It would have been easy at this point for our young delegates to lose heart and lose face, however they did not.
Our delegation stood strong and our youngest delegate took to the stage to propose our next motion, in a room full of strangers with lights shining in her face and on her tiptoes in order to reach the microphone. This time, our motion passed unamended and unanimously. The young person returned to the table and whispered “That was amazing”.
When I joined the BYC delegation, I was told by someone in this very room that it would be a good development opportunity and would serve me well in later years, following in the footsteps of many of the people whom I respect the most. At that point, I think I just shrugged it off a little, if I am totally honest. But now, having witnessed what it is like to be part of an empowering group of young people and seeing that one young person suck up all the courage within herself to address a bigger and scarier audience than this one, now, I get it.
2 weeks ago in Cardiff I was put through my paces, fighting a battle which I couldn’t win when we proposed a motion to support uniformed youth organisations. That day I came away feeling angry, disappointed, frustrated. Empowered, valued, and proud.
Proud that I stood up for what I believed in.
Proud that I was able to represent the half a million members of the scout association, on an external platform.
Proud of the young people, who smiled and whistled in difficulties.
Proud of a delegation who stood united and strong whilst facing many challenges.
Proud of the impact that we have, training volunteer leaders to support our young people, inputting millions of pounds of youth services to the public.
Proud that we are a movement that embraces change and accepts individuals differences.
Proud to be part of an organisation that trusts its young people and empowers them to speak up on their behalf.
Proud of the uniform that I wear which unites 32 million people worldwide.
Proud to be a scout.
So, as we look towards our vision for 2018, I would like to ask you all what makes you proud to be a scout? How can you empower the young people you support? How can we value our volunteers? What is it that makes you go back to your friends and colleagues, and say to them, "That was amazing”.
Sent from my iPad
Saturday, 19 May 2012
Youth Work Can be Consistent
It's time for my monthly blog about something inspiring, so today seems only fitting that I check in and write something about Youth Work.
Many of you know that I fell into this profession by accident, whilst scraping to get some money together at University - I had been sick from work for 6 months and a friend suggested I applied for this job - 6 hours a week at a youth centre. So I applied, and got the job. 6 hours "casual whilst I finish Uni so I can go to complete my PGCE" turned into 6 hours "and NVQ, additional work, youth council, rock challenge, special needs, part time certificate.."
So as I finished University I landed myself a part time job at a Sixth Form College as a pastoral assistant, and combined that with the part time youth work I was doing. I was actually offered at this point from two different schools a full time job - one in welfare, and one as a trainee teacher - probably would have been the logical option, however part of me just loved what I was doing so wanted to carry on.
Over the past 18 months, Youth Work has undergone some changes. These changes have been largely due to the cuts that have had to have been made by the government, which has resulted in youth services coming out fairly low down on the agenda. Practically, this has meant that in some local authorities, the traditional "youth service" has been phased out, with youth workers being directed down a different route within the authority, or being given the option of redundancy. For those taking the latter of the two, they may have been fortunate enough to find employment in the voluntary sector - owing to the local authority still having a duty to offer social activities and informal education for young people outside of the school day, funding from some local authorities has been directed into the voluntary sector to deliver this - in a more "cost efficient" way than ever before (funding being released annually, voluntary organisations paying less wages..)
So now we are in a position of "The Big Society", where Cameron wanted community organisations to work for their communities. More and more youth workers are feeling either the pressure of being put into more social work situations, or the fear of losing funding if they do not meet specific targets. This is a big time of uncertainty for everyone.
But, what we can get from this is the fact that there are consistencies in youth work. All youth workers are effectively striving towards the same common goals, to support young people in a child centred way and help them achieve their potential. The services that used to be delivered by a Local Authority are still there - but now being delivered by a number of organisations in a number of ways. Our challenge as youth workers is to stop mourning the loss of our fantastic youth teams (trust me, they were incredible!), and now look to the future and try to work together to achieve the same goals. The difficulties here being that each organisation is different, with different policies and procedures, and different uniforms and buildings - but ultimately any youth organisation is committed to delivering for young people - and with this mission statement being consistent and universal across all young people's organisations, doesn't it just make sense to work together? Whether a uniformed organisation, or local government, or small youthwork charity - if we all helped each other and brought the core of our work back into focus wouldn't we all be doing what we set out to do - when we made the conscious decision to become a youth worker?
Today I attended a fantastic Youth Workers Development Day, which was attended by loads of different people from loads of different backgrounds and organisations - but the one thing we all shared in common was our passion for young people - and I have come away today buzzing with excitement about working in partnership to deliver some really positive outcomes for young people, which is why I made the choice to go into youth work as a profession, and yes it has been a really tough 18 months - but now I feel excited about what I am doing again; whilst my remit of work has changed my overall goals and values have not.
Tuesday, 10 April 2012
Never forget... (the gang show blog)
Today I did something I haven't done in over a decade, I watched the Gosport Gang Show from the audience - not from the box, or on stage, or through a screen in a dressing room. This is the first year I can remember where I had no idea what was going to be in the show, and absolutely no involvement whatsoever, and I must say it was quite refreshing.
Watching a Gang Show can always be a bit, cheesy... because of the traditionalist ideas of boys in shorts and Ralph Reader songs that go on (and on and on), combined with sketches with bad punchlines and the stage hand who gets spotted. What you have to remember when you are watching a Gang Show is that the show is just a mask and a guise for something much more special and magical. Scouting.
As a Youth Worker, I have been lucky enough to deliver my own projects - the one I am most proud of is the Rock Challenge. I worked with 14 teenage boys, and one teenage girl, all of whom were in some way "disengaged" or a bit of a "square peg in a round hole". We worked together for 9 months to produce an entry for the Rock Challenge Youth Division, from finding funding to having the after show party - we went through it ALL. It was a very stressful time, and whilst I have a hard earned degree in Drama and Education, my choreography and dance skills leave a lot to be desired - however we plodded through together, choreographing and making costumes, painting set and cutting music - we did it, as a team.
This brings me back to the gang show - yes there are lights, there are costumes, there is music and dance, but what is the most important measure of the show? Is it breaking the box office record? Is it getting as many VIPs to visit as possible? Is it how many new costumes the costume mistress can sew? I believe not. The greatest measure of the show might not be seen for many years to come, but to me it is the impact that taking part in something positive can have on a young persons life.
Watching the show tonight there was a song that I remember singing in my first show, when I was just 10 years old, wearing the same costume and with the same amount of nervousness about myself that some of the young people showed tonight. Funny to imagine that the first show I ever did was a gang show, and that I would go on to get a degree in Drama having written and performed my own material. It made me wonder what exactly I got from the gang show without even realising it at the time - commitment, passion, confidence, a sense of belonging, friendship. All these things that shaped me through my teenage years into who I am today.
I have heard argument about whether gang show is "proper scouting", and whilst I appreciate I have a degree of bias, I would say of course it is. Anything that can give you the tools to develop the necessary skills for adult life, and do it with a scarf round your neck - well, of course it is scouting. Scouting is flexible and the magi of it is that it comes in many forms, I am often ribbed by my network friends because "Fi's kind of scouting is meetings, her sense of adventure is buying new paperclips" (and yes that may be true). However isn't it marvellous that we as an organisation can fit so many young people in, and adapt to suit their needs and wants? My brother, he likes kayaking, he can do it in scouts. My mum, she likes sewing, she can do it for the gang show. Me, I like notebooks, I can use them in meetings!
The other wondrous thing about Scouting, that baffles me even now, are the leaders. How incredible are these people, who volunteer their time to do something for young people. For example, Bill, the producer of Gosport Gang Show - he has been producing the show for 35 years, and each year the cast is made up of 100 people, with probably another hundred backstage and helping in the run up to the show. Imagine the amount of impact that Bill has had on people's lives, and he might not even know it! I myself was part of the gang show, and loved it. Now I sit around the table at county core team meetings, and on the national Board of Trustees, as well as on the Youth for Change WOSM group. Would I be here if it wasn't for the leadership and trust that was put into me as a young person by people like Bill? Probably not. I gained confidence and responsibility, as well as commitment and teamwork by being in the gang show. I am just one of the thousands of young people whose lives have been changed by the Gosport Gang Show.
So I would argue, the good measure of a show is not in the applause or tickets sold, but rather in the personal development and distance travelled by the young people taking part in this life changing experience - they might take 12 years to realise it (just as I did) but trust me they will, and they will be thankful to all the Bill's out there who are changing lives week in, week out, every year. I would call them the "unsung heros" of society.
On this occasion, I would like to add my congratulations to Bill on being awarded a Silver Acorn, and also my congratulations and thanks to all the adults who are making the Gang Show possible for young people today. You are all truly amazing and doing an incredible job, local scouting is where the magic happens and Gosport is very blessed to have such a diverse range of options available to it's young people.
The Gosport Gang Show is running until Saturday at the Fernham Hall, Fareham - http://www.gosportgangshow.co.uk/ It's another brilliant and very professional show, taking you through a wide range of music and dance, as well as a big dollop of catharsis. You will leave feeling refreshed, happy, and hopefully proud to have been a part of it.
Watching a Gang Show can always be a bit, cheesy... because of the traditionalist ideas of boys in shorts and Ralph Reader songs that go on (and on and on), combined with sketches with bad punchlines and the stage hand who gets spotted. What you have to remember when you are watching a Gang Show is that the show is just a mask and a guise for something much more special and magical. Scouting.
As a Youth Worker, I have been lucky enough to deliver my own projects - the one I am most proud of is the Rock Challenge. I worked with 14 teenage boys, and one teenage girl, all of whom were in some way "disengaged" or a bit of a "square peg in a round hole". We worked together for 9 months to produce an entry for the Rock Challenge Youth Division, from finding funding to having the after show party - we went through it ALL. It was a very stressful time, and whilst I have a hard earned degree in Drama and Education, my choreography and dance skills leave a lot to be desired - however we plodded through together, choreographing and making costumes, painting set and cutting music - we did it, as a team.
This brings me back to the gang show - yes there are lights, there are costumes, there is music and dance, but what is the most important measure of the show? Is it breaking the box office record? Is it getting as many VIPs to visit as possible? Is it how many new costumes the costume mistress can sew? I believe not. The greatest measure of the show might not be seen for many years to come, but to me it is the impact that taking part in something positive can have on a young persons life.
Watching the show tonight there was a song that I remember singing in my first show, when I was just 10 years old, wearing the same costume and with the same amount of nervousness about myself that some of the young people showed tonight. Funny to imagine that the first show I ever did was a gang show, and that I would go on to get a degree in Drama having written and performed my own material. It made me wonder what exactly I got from the gang show without even realising it at the time - commitment, passion, confidence, a sense of belonging, friendship. All these things that shaped me through my teenage years into who I am today.
I have heard argument about whether gang show is "proper scouting", and whilst I appreciate I have a degree of bias, I would say of course it is. Anything that can give you the tools to develop the necessary skills for adult life, and do it with a scarf round your neck - well, of course it is scouting. Scouting is flexible and the magi of it is that it comes in many forms, I am often ribbed by my network friends because "Fi's kind of scouting is meetings, her sense of adventure is buying new paperclips" (and yes that may be true). However isn't it marvellous that we as an organisation can fit so many young people in, and adapt to suit their needs and wants? My brother, he likes kayaking, he can do it in scouts. My mum, she likes sewing, she can do it for the gang show. Me, I like notebooks, I can use them in meetings!
The other wondrous thing about Scouting, that baffles me even now, are the leaders. How incredible are these people, who volunteer their time to do something for young people. For example, Bill, the producer of Gosport Gang Show - he has been producing the show for 35 years, and each year the cast is made up of 100 people, with probably another hundred backstage and helping in the run up to the show. Imagine the amount of impact that Bill has had on people's lives, and he might not even know it! I myself was part of the gang show, and loved it. Now I sit around the table at county core team meetings, and on the national Board of Trustees, as well as on the Youth for Change WOSM group. Would I be here if it wasn't for the leadership and trust that was put into me as a young person by people like Bill? Probably not. I gained confidence and responsibility, as well as commitment and teamwork by being in the gang show. I am just one of the thousands of young people whose lives have been changed by the Gosport Gang Show.
So I would argue, the good measure of a show is not in the applause or tickets sold, but rather in the personal development and distance travelled by the young people taking part in this life changing experience - they might take 12 years to realise it (just as I did) but trust me they will, and they will be thankful to all the Bill's out there who are changing lives week in, week out, every year. I would call them the "unsung heros" of society.
On this occasion, I would like to add my congratulations to Bill on being awarded a Silver Acorn, and also my congratulations and thanks to all the adults who are making the Gang Show possible for young people today. You are all truly amazing and doing an incredible job, local scouting is where the magic happens and Gosport is very blessed to have such a diverse range of options available to it's young people.
The Gosport Gang Show is running until Saturday at the Fernham Hall, Fareham - http://www.gosportgangshow.co.uk/ It's another brilliant and very professional show, taking you through a wide range of music and dance, as well as a big dollop of catharsis. You will leave feeling refreshed, happy, and hopefully proud to have been a part of it.
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