Since November NAYC has been focusing on developing our detached youth work. We have done this through staff training, taking time to understand the local area better and speak to young people, parents and members of the community. While we had to close our youth centre, we felt strongly it was important to continue to work with young people in ways that we could.

Our youth centre manager is experienced in detached youth work and was keen to develop a sustainable project, that continues alongside our centre-based work. We are thrilled to have partnered with Essex Council for Voluntary Youth Services to invest in this youth work approach and we are now out every Monday and Friday evenings around the Melbourne area.

This type of work engages with those that, for whatever reason, are often not accessing centre-based work, and provides opportunity for those young people to engage with youth workers. As detached youth workers, we aim to listen to young people, understand their experiences and work with them to develop projects, sessions, events and relationships that of value to them. Our detached youth work is very much rooted in the ideas and views of the young people we work with.