Season 2 Episode 5: Worth Unlimited

Hello and welcome to season 2 of the Jenni Talks podcast. In this season we are going to focus on conversations with people about creating new opportunities, communities and spaces for young people & youth workers to engage with as a result of the pandemic. I have written a book called From Isolation to Community: Youth Work in the Covid Era and Beyond that is available now. In it I have recorded the stories of many people working with young people across the UK during the pandemic, we will be hearing from some of these same youth workers but also from others who I’ve come across who are doing some amazing things to engage, empower and encourage young people to really thrive despite all the restrictions that have been put on us in these pandemic times. You can buy the book by going to my website www.jenniosborn.org and clicking on one of the options there. One of my passions has been supporting those who work with young people and this was part of the aim of the book, to showcase and reflect on the work that’s happening up and down the country. I also offer mentoring for youth workers, regular sessions over a 6 month period to support youth workers in their roles, acting as a sounding board, as an encourager to make small changes or to think different things through. If you’re interested in mentoring or having conversations about the themes from the book then I am available for book clubs, for resourcing and reflecting with your team or for encouraging youth workers to consider the impact of this pandemic and how we can move forward. You can get in touch via the website. This episode is a conversation with Matt Perry from Worth Unlimited who have different youth work projects in different communities around the UK. I asked him about how Worth Unlimited have fared during covid, including what the challenges have been for him as national director. We also talked about the latest campaign called Get Up and Gold, which is recognising that young people are often treated in a very negative way. Certainly throughout these pandemic times we have watched young people be overlooked or dismissed or worse punished as in the case of the exam results chaos of last summer. So Worth Unlimited are keen to stand in solidarity with young people, to showcase where young people are being talked of positively and to demonstrate that young people are worth their weight in gold. Contact details www.worthunlimited.co.uk to register for the Get Up and Gold challenge You can find Jenni on Facebook @jennitalks Twitter @jenni_talks Instagram jenni.osborn Don't forget to share this episode with those who you think will enjoy it and thanks.