We’re thrilled to announce that The Somerset Youth Work Alliance (SYWA), a network of 14 youth work organisations facilitated by Spark Somerset, has successfully secured funding from the National Lottery Community Fund to continue its work to strengthen local youth work provision.
The funding will enable the recruitment of two posts; a full-time Director and Youth Work Development Coordinator who, working alongside SYWA members, will develop and deliver a range of initiatives which aim to improve the quality and sustainability of youth work provision and better address the needs of young people in the county.
Paul Matcham, manager of Minehead Eye and core member of the Alliance commented: “The creation of the Youth Work Alliance is an exciting development for us and other youth work providers in the county. The Alliance will play a significant role in propelling youth work and further increasing its achievements across Somerset, for the benefit of young people. We are confident it will create greater opportunities for youth workers by further developing a professional career path. This will help to build capacity in a diverse range of voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations in a consolidated and strategic way. The Alliance will play a pivotal role in positively influencing the youth work provision landscape.”
Sara Iles, VCFSE Partnerships Manager at Spark Somerset and SYWA Facilitator, said: “We are delighted to receive the funding which will enable us to build on the success of the Somerset Youth Work Alliance and support its growth and development by providing training, resources and networking opportunities. We believe that youth work is vital for the wellbeing of young people, especially in these challenging times.”
A full time SWYA Director has now been recruited we are now looking for a Youth Work Development Lead. Please visit our Jobs Page for more information.
To find out more about the Somerset Youth Work Alliance and how you can get involved, please click here.
