Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Honours for youth workers
National awards nod recognises work they do in the community
Youth workers from two Monklands projects were honoured with top prizes at a prestigious national awards ceremony.
Airdrie’s youth work colleagues, based at the @ home centre, were named team of the year at the 10th annual YouthLink Scotland prizegiving, while social worker Jennifer Lafferty of the Community Alternatives project was named as Scotland’s youth work champion.
The team award winners, from the youth centre on Clark Street, were “celebrated for their work around inclusion, equalities and diversity”, providing unique tailored support for groups including young parents and carers, LGBT+ young people, and those at risk of antisocial or criminal behaviour.
The award was collected on behalf of the team by (from left) community learning and development worker Fiona Hood, support worker Joanne Boyle and senior practitioner Christine Boyle.
Among the opportunities they facilitate are the Shout youth forum, peer mentoring, the Duke of Edinburgh Award, drop- in sessions, training for life and work skills, and further opportunities for young people with additional needs.
Jennifer earned the youth work champion title for her work in “helping vulnerable local youngsters to find a better path in life” through Community Alternatives, a social work resource for young people at risk of being placed in residential care.
Her achievements include engaging young people in community youth work services, and assisting 23 in gaining their Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Chief executive of event organisers YouthLink, Jim Sweeney, said: “Youth work is critical to the success of many young people in Scotland and there are countless examples of people, paid and unpaid, who do great work that changes lives.
“Both Jennifer’s project and the Airdrie team are fantastic examples of effective youth work; illustrating that when investment is made in our young people, and they are given the opportunity to learn and grow outside the classroom, their achievement and attainment improves.”