Katy Virgo talks youth clubs

Katy Virgo youth clubs/foresters oppourtunities

Transcript

00:00We provide a safe environment, really, for young people to come and just be themselves.

00:12We run different workshops, different activities. We run a tuck shop and things, but it's just

00:21generally trying to provide somewhere that gets them off the street and is safe.

00:27The parents are always extremely grateful. So grateful, actually, that they put me forward

00:36for an award last year, a local award, but because I wasn't a volunteer, I wasn't able

00:43to be officially nominated, so it led to being put forward to a national award, which was

00:51amazing. So the feedback in itself in that was incredible. The children love it. We have

01:03amazing relationships with them and I think that is evident in the fact that they just

01:10keep coming back. They are on the rise again after a massive cut in the sector in 2012,

01:20I think it was. So we are starting to build youth cuts back up and the Forestry Dean definitely

01:28has a lack of them. So that will be building. The Youth Association are looking to put together

01:39a youth panel, which will influence local government, volunteering opportunities.

01:50It's going to be huge. I think everyone's sort of a little bit, they're just learning

02:00again how to get themselves out there and to experience life and that is the most important

02:08thing I think young people can do, is to get out and mingle and socialise and just learn

02:18to be young again. The Youth Club is there because they're passionate about inspiring

02:24and changing the lives of the young people. Go and get in there and open up your world

02:32to the opportunities that we can provide.