Gain Satisfying Youth Work Experience
Here comes 2022, and Connect Alloa is about to enter its third year as a charity. We are not only proud of our achievements in the past years but we are thriving and planning to expand when the time is right. There are new and exciting opportunities coming up. One of which is youth work. Working for young people is a highly rewarding and gratifying experience. Why not join our team and gain youth work experience?
To know more about youth work and what we do, read the account written by our Youth Worker Ivy.
To apply for the position of Trustee or Treasurer, by clicking on the link below.
Alternatively, if you’d like to find out more about volunteering with our youth groups directly, contact Dave at dave@connectalloa.org.uk for an informal chat!
*Flashback*
Sat in the office (pending coffee) on the first proper day back of Connect 2022 and Dave hits out
with ‘Ivy – Can you write a blog post about being part of Connect?’ and what did I say?
Far too optimistic and potentially not listening as much as I should have been. (Sorry Dave)
‘Yip – of course, I can, no problem at all!’
In hindsight, I have found one major problem with this – I don’t know how to write a blog post.
How do you even start one?
Is it a quick, cheesy one-liner?
Is it an inspirational quote?
Is it all reflection?
Well – I did some research and according to Pinterest, it is supposed to be one of those things, which one?… I will never know!
One thing I am 100% sure of though is I love my job and I can say that hand on heart, no doubts or hesitation because for the first time in my working career, it doesn’t feel like work – and you know what they say, ‘find a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.’
It’s the little things that make it all worthwhile. I look forward to logging into my Connect emails, answer calls from Dave and Sanhita, and turning up to the group on a Friday night after a long week to find the young people waiting five minutes early (Some with smiles and some telling us we’re late!) I even look forward to going out to the container in the freezing cold and battling the spiders because it makes the young people laugh as I scream trying to escape from our eight-legged neighbours!
Anyone who knows me, or has heard me chatting about the group, knows that I am extremely passionate about youth work and is something that I hold very dear to my heart. I have been involved in youth work since I was 14, so I’ve just closed in on 10-years of advocating for safe, effective, inclusive and positive provision for young people (I feel old now but I wouldn’t change it for the world) I’ll be honest – I started with Connect as a volunteer back in September purely to lend a hand, build some new connections as my day-job crossed over nicely and use up some of my free time and within a week or so I was sold.
It quickly became the highlight of my week (Still is) It is very easy to see the impact that going along to Connect has on young people and it is nothing but positive – It’s a safe space for them to be themselves, make new friends and seek support if they need it! I am forever trying to get people to sign up to volunteer with us because it is truly a worthwhile and rewarding experience being at a group (youth nights), even if I spend some nights getting pelters for winning Monopoly. (It’s only happened once, but I hold on to that win)
Joking aside – I am so excited to see what 2022 has in store for Connect and the young people, the new logo has already kicked off the New Year with a bang so I am incredibly proud and blessed to be part of such an amazing charity.
So what are you waiting for?
Come, volunteer with us!
You categorically cannot put a price on the feeling you get when you leave the group for the night knowing that you have made a difference in a young person’s life, even if it is the smallest of differences, it’s priceless!
Anyway – I guess I’ve done Pinterest proud with the amount of cheese and reflection I’ve got going on!
I appreciate you!
– Ivy
