Youth Work Week 2019 is a time to recognise and reflect the power of youth work.

London Youth and all those dedicated to delivering grass roots youth service provision are aware of this all year round, but others are not which has contributed to the decimation of London’s youth services since 2011. For this reason, as a network we must use Youth Work Week 2019 to shout loudly about the transformative effect of youth work on young people.

In London, our diverse network of over 450 community youth organisations are creating opportunities for tens of thousands of young people each year through our sports, employability, social action, arts and outdoor education programmes.

But the support that grass roots youth organisations, committed youth workers and volunteers give to young people goes way beyond simply providing a safe place to go in their local area.

It is a unique relationship in the lives of so many young people.

This relationship is especially important for those who aren’t thriving in school, those who are living in low income families with limited or no access to social and recreational opportunities, and for those who lack the support of a trusted, consistent adult in their lives. The dynamic between youth worker and young person is incomparable to the often transient relationships they may have with other statutory services.

This Youth Work Week, we are proud to be championing London’s youth workers and youth organisations.