• YOUTH work is no light task, especially in the face of persistent nationwide cuts in funding and resources.

The past decade has seen the closure of nearly half of the United Kingdom’s youth centres, with spending on youth services at its lowest point in a generation.

With such challenges, can we reasonably expect our young people to reach their full potential?

This week is Youth Work Week, and the theme “youth work in every space and place” strikes a chord.

When taking a moment to look around, you will notice youth work transcending conventional boundaries, occurring beyond traditional spaces to match our ever-changing world.

At the Roundhouse, youth work is woven into the fabric of all our offerings for young creatives.

Although most people know the Roundhouse as a music venue, we also work with 8,000 young people aged 11 to 30 each year.

We do this through providing affordable spaces and creative opportunities, alongside wrap-around support for everyone entering our doors.

Our youth work team facilitates safe spaces and provides holistic support that allows every young person to experiment, take risks, and grow at their own pace.

We’re proud of our unique offering that combines creative development with pastoral care to support our local young people in a way that resonates with them.

It begs the question, how else can we, as a nation, integrate youth support into more programmes and institutions that affect young people?

Are there unchartered territories where we can place youth work in a central position?

Youth work in the UK has the solid foundation of talented and dedicated professionals.

We are certainly hoping to witness increased recognition and investment at a time when young people need youth workers more than ever.

MARCUS DAVEY
CEO and Artistic Director
Roundhouse