Youthwork

Purpose

The VEC Youth Office is concerned with the personal, social, spiritual and educational development of young people and, in particular, those who experience marginalisation and exclusion. We endeavour to assist groups and organisations (who share core youth work principles & values) to deliver high-quality, needs-based youth services.

Approach

The approach employed by the Youth Office will include:

Promoting youth work for all young people
Promoting diversity of provision by a range of youth organisations
Encouraging and supporting voluntarism at community level
Promoting quality standards in management and youth work practice
Promoting the active participation of young people in decision making in youth groups
Allocating resources to meet targeted needs
Working in partnership with the community and voluntary sectors

Principles of our work

Our work is focused primarily on teenagers and young adults, enabling them achieve stronger collective identities through group work, networking and solidarity.
We believe youth work to be a non-formal, planned, educational process – occurring in an out-of-school setting, that provides opportunities for young people to achieve and fulfil their potential.
We promote critical social education as a model of youth work that best empowers young people, caters for diverse needs and promotes social inclusion.
The core values of youth work that we work from include respect, honesty, voluntary participation, empowerment, collective action, equality, choice, partnership.
Environmental concern and a careful use of the worlds resources is important and, as a result, we advocate the reusing, repairing and recycling of resources in the provision of youth work services.
We seek a holistic approach to working with young people and are concerned with how young people feel as well as what they know and can do. There is recognition and respect for the wider networks of peers, community and culture .
We start where young people are at, following an agenda and pace set by the young people themselves, working towards a transfer of power from the adults to the young people.

What We Offer

Advice and guidance to all youth groups and local communities, from start-up through to advanced
Grant-aid assistance
Training
Support – reflective practice workshops, analysis and evaluation
Networking with like-minded workers and organisations
Youth work library – books, info packs, DVD’s, magazines, periodicals
Programme development – ideas, assistance, reviews, group visits