Learning from the Streets

If you were to gather a whole load of youthworkers together, or over hear them talking in the office or with family and friends, and theres a good chance you might hear some of the following. They are the audible signs that the person is a youthworker.

1. I wish you could get funding for developing purposeful relationships

2. No I don’t get paid just to play table tennis

3. It’s like a combination of being a social worker, teacher and police officer, but also nothing like them.

4. Maybe we need to have a conversation about that.

5. No one gets what were trying to do here, but were trying anyway.

6. Don’t call them youth, or young person, they have a name.

7. I wish I was better managed.

8. Youth work is not like it used to be.

9. Margaret Thatcher. (Often in an informal lecture about cuts to youth provision or rise of neo liberalism.) 

10. To young people: We do just want this (CCTV ridden, brand new building ) to be your space.

11.Yes i do a proper job, an no i’m not too old to do it 

12. No Im not just warming up to be a teacher or vicar

13. Yes im sure we’ll be able to use something random from the store cupboard to run a session

14. You mean i have to do my own admin too? 

15. Needlessly dropping the words ‘Generation’ into any sentence.  (this is often the ‘church’ based youthworker- they have other phrases too) 

16. We just want to be ‘there’ for young people

17. Have you considered the ethics of this decision? (over deciding which coffee outlet to meet in) 

18. We need to consider the context of the young person

19. ‘Our job keeps changing, a different job title every year, for every funding cut, every new reshuffle. I used to be a youthworker, now im a children, youth, families, community flourisher with early educational intervention remit. Its the same job, but i report now to the litter picking department’

20.  There’s just something wonderful about when young people want to talk, share their dreams and ambitions, and i can help them achieve them. 

21. Its the system. Its always the systems fault. 

22. We have loads of funding, last week we were able to throw away a pencil in the office without going all the way down to the lead. 

23. I wish young people didnt have all those expectations thrust on them, that they could choose what kind of service or provision they want. 

24. God i hate funding forms. 

25. It is all about values isnt it? 

You may, of course spot a number of other phrases or sayings that in a crowded room, a conference, or even now at the school that help you to indicate the sounds of the now lesser spotted youthworker. They are an endangered species more than ever, so, buy them a coffee, say hello, and only when you mention NCS, Neo liberalism or evangelism, do they bite. Do add your own below: