What is Youth Work?

Youth Work is an educational practice contributing to young people’s learning and development and is delivered to 11 to 25 year olds by both paid and professional workers and volunteers, but with a particular emphasis on 12 to 18 year olds.

Youth work engages with young people within their communities; it acknowledges the wider networks of peers, community and culture; it supports the young person to realise their potential and to address life’s challenges critically and creatively; it takes account of all strands of diversity.

Youth work takes place in a variety of settings including community venues, uniformed groups, schools, youth cafes, and on the street, whilst using numerous approaches such as outdoor pursuits, drama workshops, health initiatives, peer education and single issues and single gender work to engage with young people.

Purpose of Youth Work

• To build self-esteem and self-confidence
• Develop the ability to manage personal and social relationships
• Create learning and develop new skills
• Encourage positive group atmospheres
• Build the capacity of young people to consider risk, make reasoned decisions and take control.
• Develop a ‘world view’ that widens horizons and invites social commitment.

For further information about youth work projects in the Borders please contact Kirsty Burnham at Borders Voluntary Youth Work Forum (BVYWF), 01896 755 110 or kirsty@bvywf.org.uk or go to www.bvywf.org.uk.

 Borders Voluntary Youth Work Forum

Borders Voluntary Youth Work Forum (BVYWF) is an umbrella voluntary organisation consisting of voluntary youth work projects within the Borders.  Each of these projects is run by paid and professional staff who are dedicated to delivering services on the ground to all young people, whether it be generic or specialist and where possible, in partnership with statutory organisations such as Social Work, Health and Education.

BVYWF looks for gaps in youth work services and finds funding for innovative projects that will help to fill in these gaps.  Examples of these include projects such as Youth Chex a grant-giving organisation for young people by young people and Window of Time, a project that trains young people from chaotic backgrounds in outdoor pursuits on a residential basis over a year.  We also provide support and supervision, advocacy, shadowing and training to member projects.

BVYWF is looking to develop Social Enterprises that will both involve young people and raise money for the forum.  We currently hire out a computerised voting pad system that can cater for up to 100 people.

For further details about BVYWF please contact:

Kirsty Burnham, Langlee Complex, Marigold Drive, Galashiels, TD1 2LP

01896 755 110, kirsty@bvywf.org.uk, www.bvywf.org.uk