Mike Hedges AM Welsh Government more than doubling funding for youth work

Mike Hedges AM Welsh Government more than doubling funding for youth work

Speaking after the announcement, Swansea East AM, Mike Hedges said..  ‘We all remember the days when most communities had their local youth club; sadly, many of these have closed over the years, a lot as a result of the Westminster Government Austerity policies. I am therefore delighted that the Welsh Assembly Government is investing in Youth Services. Youth services provide a vital resource for young people, providing information and support across a variety of issues. I am sure many young people in Wales and in my constituency will benefit from this extra investment. I look forward to visiting youth services in my constituency and seeing this money at work.’

Youth Work Week in Wales is an annual event to recognise the importance of youth work in helping young people play an active role in their communities and support them with their personal, social and educational development.

But the Welsh Government’s commitment to youth work and youth services goes beyond one week of celebrations with funding more than doubling to over £10 million this year.

This goes towards helping to ensure young people can access these vital services at any time, no matter where they live, and includes £2.5m to support young people’s mental health and wellbeing, and a further £3.7 million to help prevent youth homelessness.

Education Minister, Kirsty Williams, will be joining youth work organisations in the Senedd tomorrow for a Youth Work Week showcase event celebrating the impact youth work has across Wales and to publish the new Youth Work Strategy.

The strategy, founded on young people’s voices and developed in collaboration with key partners within the voluntary sector, statutory services, Education Training Standards, Education Workforce Council, and Estyn, sets out a vision for the future of youth work in Wales with 5 key aims ensuring that:

• Young people are thriving
• Youth work is accessible and inclusive
• Voluntary and paid youth professional youth work staff are supported throughout their careers to improve their practice
• Youth work is valued and understood
• We have a sustainable model for youth work delivery in Wales.

There’ll be a number of other events taking place across Wales to mark Youth Work Week – contact your local authority or local youth work organisation for more information.