Annwyl pawb,
Hopefully you have all seen the announcement from the Minister for Education and Welsh language which set out who will sit alongside me on the Youth Work Strategy Implementation Board. I am really looking forward to working with such a passionate and dynamic group. The Board have already met twice, and I would like to update you on our priorities and invite you to be part of the next phase of this work.
The proposals made by the Interim Youth Work Board are wide-ranging and ambitious. The focus now is on translating these proposals into action to deliver a sustainable youth work model that enriches the lives of all young people in Wales.
We as a Board want to engage with you and shape these ambitions together. Alongside ensuring the voice of young people continues to guide our work, we are committed to continue to work in a participatory way with stakeholders from across the sector.
Building on the momentum created by the Strategy Participation Groups (SPG’s) that were in place between 2019 and 2022, five new Implementation Participation Groups (IPG’s) will be established. Each IPG will be chaired by a member of the Board and will have a focus on specific proposals made by the Interim Board.
Here you can find details of the groups and their focus; Sharon Lovell letter to the youth work sector Nov 2022- PDF
You will notice that there are some similarities between the focus of the previous SPG’s and the new IPG’s – this reflects the need to continue with elements of this work. The Board were also clear about the need to be agile in our approach and therefore further groups may be established at a later date, and the groups above may come to an end as this work progresses.
It is now time to refresh the membership of these groups and provide an opportunity for everyone across the sector to participate in this important aspect of the work. As well as encouraging anyone who was a member of a former SPG to consider joining these new groups, I hope that we are also able to attract new faces to join these groups.
I will chair a short meeting via Teams from 1pm-2pm on 12 December to explain more about these groups and answer some of your questions. Other members of the Board will also be in attendance. All members of the SPGs should have already received a meeting invite for this session. Others are also welcome to join us to hear
more about this next phase. If you would like to join this session and don’t have the meeting details, please email youthworkboard@gov.wales.
If you wish to express an interest in joining one of the IPG’s, please complete this form; Expression of interest in joining IPG group – bilingual and return to youthworkboard@gov.wales by 16 December.
All expressions of interest in the groups will be considered by the lead Board member to ensure balance and appropriate levels of knowledge and skills. If you have any questions before you submit your expression of interest, please get in touch.
We expect all IPG members to be actively engaged with the work, and to regularly attend meetings. We appreciate that there may be some who are not able to commit to regular meetings, and in those cases there may be times when you can offer expertise or advice on specific topics if needed. All IPG members will also be expected to share information about the work of their group, where appropriate, with others across the sector and beyond to help to raise awareness and a shared understanding of current progress.
I hope many of you will want to work with us during this next phase. I think we have a lot of work ahead of us, sometimes it will be challenging, but hopefully rewarding as we aim to put things in place to best support all young people across Wales. I think we are in for some very exciting times going forward and I look forward to working with you on this progressive journey to sustain youth work in Wales.
Best wishes
Sharon Lovell
Chair – Youth Work Strategy Implementation Board
