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.
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