CEO’s Thoughts (October / November Newsletter)

9 November 2022

This newsletter is a little late this time, but we trust you’ll understand when you read about all of the things we’ve been up to!

Firstly, I join you as Berkshire Youth’s new Interim CEO, with David having stepped down as CEO. I’m sure you will all join me in thanking David for his outstanding leadership over the last 22 years. His impact has been immeasurable. David is still working with us in a consultancy role as he helps us to develop the foundations for the next chapter of Berkshire Youth. Read more here.

Last week, we were thrilled to welcome dozens of friends and supporters to Waterside Centre for the long-awaited official opening of our vibrant youth and community centre in Newbury. Read more here.

We are celebrating Youth Work Week – A Festival of Youth Work – this week. We’ll be sharing messages which celebrate the positive impact that youth work has on young people both now and in the future. We would love to share as much great news from Berkshire as we can about the brilliant youth work taking place across our county. If you have anything you would like to contribute, please email julie.maclean@berkshireyouth.co.uk.

It’s also Trustees’ Week this week, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank our brilliant Trustees for all of the time, commitment and effort they put into our charity; we couldn’t do it without them!

You may have seen in the news last week the alarming news from Anne Longfield and the Commission on Young Lives about primary school-aged children running drugs for gangs as becoming “the norm”, whilst young teenagers are heading up county lines operations. Sadly, our team are not surprised by the findings of this report, and join in with the call for a joined-up, national programme to enable local communities to protect and support teenagers at risk, and their families. You can read the full report here.

Also in this newsletter, get to know our new youth worker Kenmore a little better, read about what’s been happening at our flagship youth clubs, learn how you can support our work, plus find out how you can enter our Christmas card design competition to win a new bike and helmet – entries due by this Friday!

Thank you for your continued support. Happy Youth Work Week!

Sarah Emery, CEO