News that the ChooseYouth alliance is adding its voice to the outbreak of discussion about the future of youth work. Obviously IDYW are supporting this initiative, although we have qualms about how this engages with the Youth Sector Briefing project and the TAG consultation. So too it is taking place a mere few days after our national conference in Leeds on April 8th in Leeds. Nevertheless we are encouraging our supporters to register and attend.

Youth Work and Youth Services: Our Shared Future

The fledgling youth service was nearly abandoned by funders in the late nineteen fifties and all those concerned banded together and not only rescued it, but they created the modern youth service with public funding, national collective bargaining through JNC a respected professional qualification and training and support structures for part time worker and volunteers.

Unfortunately, as we all know, this once world leading infrastructure and set of professional practices within personal and social education has not just been cut, it has been so severely affected since 2010 that all providers are struggling and the essential education and support that youth work offers is being destroyed. This adds immeasurably to the pressures young people face at a time when they need youth workers more than ever.

The unity of purpose evident amongst all those who built the service two generations ago is much needed again and we reflect also that at times of danger to the service in the eighties and nineties it was only alliances of the main organisations concerned about young people that pulled us through.

Since 2010 ChooseYouth has successfully flown the flag as a broad alliance. At our January meeting there was a strong feeling that we need to create a new opportunity for every concerned organisation to get together and see what more can be done to secure a future for youth work and youth services.

We therefore invite all interested parties to an open forum to discuss what more can be done together to protect and enhance essential services for young people through youth work.

WHEN Wednesday, 13 April 2016 from 10:30 to 17:00 (BST) – Add to Calendar

WHERE Unite Offices – Moreland Street, , London EC1V 8BB GB – View Map

Go to http://our-shared-future.eventbrite.co.uk to book tickets.