About the Youth Service
Youth work helps young people learn about themselves, others and society, through informal educational activities that combine fun, enjoyment, challenge and learning.
Youth workers work mainly with young people aged 13 to 19, but may in some cases extend this to those aged 11 to 13 and 19 to 25.
Youth work seeks to promote young people’s personal and social development and enable them to have a voice, influence and a place in their community.
South Tyneside Council is responsible for ensuring that a youth service is provided in the area, working with the voluntary sector and other youth related agencies. These different organisations share a common set of youth work values, including:
- Working with young people because they are young people, not because they have been labelled or are considered deviant
- Starting with young people’s views of the world
- Helping young people develop stronger relationships and collective identities
- Respecting and valuing differences and promoting the voice of young people
The Youth Service is open to all young people in the target age range in South Tyneside.
The service is designed to promote personal and social development in young people who may:
- Live in specific areas
- Have particular interests such as music, drama, outdoor education or sport
- Face particular circumstances such as bullying or unemployment
- Have particular issues with relationships, health or school
- Belong to particular groups and communities such as young women, lesbian, gay and bisexual young people, disabled young people or black and minority ethnic young people.
