Staff Spotlight

30 June 2023

Natalya – Welcome to the Team!
We’re really pleased to welcome Natalya to our team. Here’s a little more about Natalya’s background, why she chose to work at Berkshire Youth and her hopes for the future:

“I was a lifeguard for two years, before becoming spending five years as a TA at a special needs school, supporting a range of different young people from ages 5 – 18 with PASD / complex needs. I also volunteer as a synchro coach for Electric Eels Swimming and Synchro Club for people with Downs syndrome. We currently nationally and international as Team GB.

“I think I bring a wide range of sport knowledge / skills to the role and I would consider myself a bubbly and enthusiastic person. I’m always up for a challenge which I hope will help the young people to believe in themselves and achieve anything they put their minds to.

“I chose to join Berkshire Youth because I think you can learn just as much from young people as young people can learn from us. The benefit I will get from this role is being able to watch young people grow, thrive and adapt in not just our youth centre but out in the community.

“I hope to be a good addition to the team at Waterside, and I aim to help them grown current and upcoming projects / programmes through the years and to continue to inspire and empower young people.”

 

Karen – One-Year Anniversary
Karen is our Training and Volunteer Development Manager, who celebrated her first anniversary at Berkshire Youth this month.

Karen said of her first year: “I really enjoyed meeting and working alongside some of the Young Leaders at Waterside Centre. I loved listening to their insights about youth work and its impact. It was great to observe them running sessions and helping around the centre. Through the training courses, I have met some lovely people at the start of their youth worker journey and enjoyed listening to the difference they are making to young people’s lives. It was ‘kind of good’ to know some have used the first aid skills they learnt. I am also grateful to the Reading University intern programme students, and those who did their work experience with us, for the new insights they brought and the work they did.

“I am currently concentrating on preparing Berkshire Youth’s registration to become an approved award centre, to deliver a range of accredited youth work courses. Previous experience demonstrated how these courses improve the quality of the service we offer to young people and how individual staff develop their practice. We will be able to offer Level 1, 2 and 3 youth work qualifications, as well as the assessors award to currently qualified and experienced youth workers. These courses will help us develop a youth offer for the future that young people deserve. If you want to know more about the accredited youth work, first aid, mental health first aid courses at our / your venue or how else we can support you with staff development please contact me.”

Karen’s email address is karen.dynan@berkshireyouth.co.uk. Please click here to see the current training courses we have planned.

 

Abbas – One-Year Anniversary
Abbas is a youth work in the east of Berkshire, and we are also celebrating his first anniversary at Berkshire Youth this month.

Abbas told us: “My first year at Berkshire Youth has been very interesting and exciting. During my time here I have worked in both Slough and Bracknell, taking part in projects including Young Carers, detached around the Bracknell area and, recently, detached in Maidenhead, and youth sessions both at The Wayz and Britwell YCP.  I also have enjoyed working and seeing change with some students I work with on a 1-2-1 basis in the schools project, which is very rewarding for me. In the next few months, the plan is for me to get involved with a project called ‘Love Music, Hate Violence’.

“I have also helped out on trips such as beach trips, PGL and camping, some of which were new to me, but gained valuable experience which will help me in the future.”

Vacancies
We currently have more exciting opportunities to join our team. Please click here to learn more about our youth work and facilities vacancies.