In addition to my regular job at Arun Community Church, since April 2008, I have been the Chair of ‘yarn’ – the network of youth workers and managers who have been supported by the Rank Foundation‘s funding initiatives. This involves a number of exciting events and opportunities including meeting a wide range of brilliant youth workers doing amazing and diverse work across the UK.

Periodically, the Foundation produces publications around the excellent work that they do in supporting local youth agencies and workers. The last piece was called Journeying Together which was a short film and booklet (pdf) reflecting the ethos and values in encouraging youth work practice. Ian previously posted about the video here which I’ve uploaded to Vimeo.

Journeying Together from Jon Jolly on Vimeo.

These past two years, I have been involved in the research, writing and editing of the next publication: Journeying Together. Growing youth work and youth workers in local communities.

The book is a 144 page collection of writings looking at the practical issues effecting locally-based youth work. Although it is based around the experiences of The Rank Foundation, it will be of great interest to anyone working with local youth projects and agencies.

This accessible text explores a way of working – pioneered and developed over 22 years in a UK-wide initiative – to grow youth work by supporting individuals to train professionally, while working in community-based organizations… and, through this investment in people, to create a lasting impact within communities.

Grounded in workers’ personal experiences, as well as in relevant theory, it will encourage anyone who is working – directly or in partnership – with young people to look at, and develop, their own ways of working in communities.

My role in this book was as a contributor – I wrote the first chapter titled ‘Local Youth Work’. The full list of content and writers is below:

CONTENTS and CONTRIBUTORS
Foreword Charlie Harris
Introduction Charlie Harris, Alan Rogers & Mark K Smith

Growing youth work in local communities

• Local youth work – Jon Jolly
• The experience of growing work – Sarah Lloyd-Jones
• Developing local groups and organisations – Alistair Hunter

Growing youth workers in local communities

• Finding and recognising youth workers – Judith Skinner
• Developing informed and committed workers – Jeff Salter
• Strength through struggle – Gemma McDonald
• Implications for, and impacts on, the organisation – Kai Wooder

Journeying together

• Creating and sustaining a philosophy for development – Simon Hill
• Growing a network – Zareena Abidi-Sheldon
• Supporting and facilitating long-term change – Chris Dunning

Conclusion – Alan Rogers & Mark K Smith

The book is due out in February for £13.95, but you can pre-order from Amazon now. I plan to post some excepts from my chapter on this blog over the coming weeks in an attempt to whet your appetite for the book. I’d also be really interested in hearing any feedback from people who actually get hold of a copy!