Our impact
Since 2015, Sunderland Youth Work has been supporting local youth organizations with the common goal of empowering the children and young adults in our community.
Through collaboration and shared efforts, we aim to provide resources, support, and opportunities that enable young people to thrive and reach their full potential.
With that in mind, the consortium has three clear objectives in the coming years:
- Sustain youth work by equipping the next generation of youth workers with the skills and knowledge they need to support young people.
- Attract investment for youth work services within the city of Sunderland.
- Develop standards to enable the delivery of exceptional services for young people.
Projects supporting children and young people in Sunderland
The Holiday, Activities and Food (HAF) Programme
Sinde the inception of the Department for Education holiday activity programme in 2019, the consortium has worked collaboratively to deliver a range of activities across the city of Sunderland.
Area Based Work
As a consortium, we extend our efforts beyond individual projects to address area-specific needs where gaps in youth work provision have been identified.
City Centre Detached
In the summer of 2022, we initiated a pilot project to evaluate the effectiveness of detached youth work in Sunderland's city centre.
Care Experience Project
This project is new for 2024 and aims to mentor young people who are care experienced and join them on their journey to happy, independant living.
Good Vibes
The Good Vibes project is joint funded by The National Lottery, The Ballinger Charitable Trust and Sunderland City Council. The project gives young people access to safe spaces where they are welcome to meet with their friends or develop new friendships; grow in confidence and self esteem while nurturing their unique interests.
Case study
A young woman opened up to a youth worker about her experiences in a romantic relationship. Initially, she described her boyfriend as "quiet and lovely," but as time passed, she noticed changes in his behaviour. He began dictating to her what clothes to wear and what friends to see or not to see. His demands escalated, controlling her behaviour more and more, both when they were together and apart. He inundated her with constant text messages, becoming angry if she didn't respond immediately, accusing her of not loving him enough.
Seeking guidance, she confided in friends and youth workers, reflecting on how relationships can evolve from safe to unsafe over time, making it difficult to recognize when they become unhealthy. They emphasized the importance of relationships, whether romantic, familial, or platonic, enhancing one's life and happiness. She realised that if a relationship starts to feel unsafe or unhealthy, seeking support is crucial.
Increasingly anxious, she found herself lying to her boyfriend about her whereabouts and social interactions, feeling emotionally unsafe and unable to confide in him for fear of repercussions if they split up. Recognizing the suffocating control he exerted, she realized their relationship was unhealthy and she ended it.
Our members
