A day in the life of a youth worker

His role is to connect and develop with the youth of the local community. This post has received funding for three years from Tear Fund and the Rank Trust and started in June 2013.

Pete previously worked for five years as a Youth Pastor with Trinity Presbyterian Church in Bangor. He has been married to Kerry, a graphic designer, for three years. He has been involved in Youth Ministry for around 10 years and holds a Bachelors in Theology, an MA in Youth Ministry. He regularly speaks across the country at youth events and other gatherings.

My role is part time at present and I work three days a week, The name Damask represents two concepts; firstly that of strength achieved through the weaving together of different strands, picking up on the desire to work in partnership with others to build a strong community and, secondly the name Damask is rooted in Damascus which is associated with change and Damask Community Outreach aims to provide opportunities that will change lives and build futures. Working as a youth worker you definitely need creative flair and ideas. Damask is continuously seeking ways to develop its work to the benefit of the local community and hopes to develop a Holistic Youth Programme with young people in the local area.

I work in addition to existing church youth programmes to strengthen and develop links with young people from the local Community. My job sees me working with young people at after school drop-ins and a range of outreach activities as well as networking with similar projects in the Lisburn area. My appointment is still quite new so the board is in discussions with a number of potential funders who may support future projects such as skills training.

On a Wednesday and Thursday I am involved with the after school drop-in during term time from 3.30pm to 5.30pm in Seymour Street Halls. This is open to all year 8 to 14 pupils and includes supervised space for homework, computer games, crafts and a coffee bar. On a Friday I take the Youth Club and I also spend a range of sport and mentoring activities at Fort Hill College.

It’s great seeing the charity go from strength to strength and I am delighted to be involved. It feels very satisfying knowing that we are trying to make a difference in the community.