Posted: Sat 30th May 2020

Youth and Community Work students helping their area tackle the Covid-19 pandemic

Wrexham.com for people living in or visiting the Wrexham area
This article is old - Published: Saturday, May 30th, 2020

Youth and Community Work students at Wrexham Glyndwr University are assisting with vital work to help young people in North Wales face the coronavirus pandemic.

The students are combining their studies at university with community roles, which help ensure young people facing health, housing and food issues – among others – are getting the advice and support they need during the crisis.

Alice Williams, who is in her final year of her Youth and Community work degree, has a role as youth activities worker for the Peoples Health Trust section of Caia Park Partnership – a community development organisation and charity based in the heart of Caia Park, and she also works within the Caia Park youth team.

In her roles she champions the voice of young people in Caia Park and tackles health inequality across the community.

Meanwhile her fellow student, Zoe Davenport-Ball has a role as a Relief Worker at Wrexham Foyer, which covers a number of supported living schemes which help young people who are facing housing issues. Her team works across three sites – Wrexham Foyer, Hafan and Preswylfa – to provide advice, guidance and support to tenants.

Both Alice and Zoe have seen their roles change in recent weeks as their teams respond to the current pandemic.

Much of Alice’s regular work involves working directly alongside young people on issues which affect their community. However, a lot of that work has now shifted online.

She said: “Due to Covid-19 my role has changed as youth clubs are closed. That means working with a smaller team and social distancing is a must, and PPE must be worn on detached work.

“This detached work involves visits twice a week around Caia Park – ensuring young people are listening to the lockdown guidelines.

“All our other contact with our young people and the community is now online – such as quiz nights, an online community singing contest, and a People’s Health Trust logo in chalk competition. Our Youth forum is now a group video chat once a week – to maintain communication and plan for when the pandemic is finally over.”

Meanwhile, Zoe’s work has seen a number of changes too – include measures to protect both staff and service users’ health, including social distancing, regular cleaning, and much more. She has also seen several changes to both the support her team offers – and the way it is offered.

She said: “Since the Covid-19 pandemic started working at Wrexham Foyer has had to be altered.

“We cannot offer the same support as we did due to social distancing – however, we are still here to offer assistance for those that require it.

“We provide hot meals for those in self – isolation at the project, and we are continuing to work with outside agencies on the phone to provide the residents with the best possible support that we can offer during the current climate.

“Due to the chaotic lives some of our residents have lived and the risk taking behaviour some can display, it has been challenging to encourage and remind them they are only allowed out for an hour exercise a day and for medical reasons or for essential shopping.

“However I am a part of an amazing staff team and we have all ensured the safety and wellbeing of the residents comes first.”

Alice, too, is working with both her staff teams and wider teams to ensure that young people are being kept supported.

She added: “I have also been networking with other organisations to help support families right across the Caia Park community who need support, and have also created a home-schooling pack for those who are finding schooling hard or cannot access the internet.”

Both Alice and Zoe have welcomed the support they have received both from their teams and from the tutors on Glyndwr’s Youth and Community Work course – and have said its focus on critical reflection has proved invaluable to them as they adapt their roles to the current situation.

Alice said: “Our tutors Hayley and Jess have been superstars throughout my learning journey and supported me the whole way.

“The one thing my studies taught me as a Youth and Community worker is to always think on your feet and to adapt to your surrounding like a chameleon, as no two situations are the same.

“What may have worked two months ago, does not work today – and due to the pandemic I have had to change the way I interact with the young people I work with and embrace the community side of my role.

“Critical reflection is a huge process in my studies and now part of my role as a Youth Activities worker. Everything right now is trial and error, that does not mean we have failed – it just means we need to adopt a new way of thinking- such as youth work moving on to online, adapting with the times.”

Zoe added: “Studying Youth and community work at Glyndwr has prepared me for different situations – and though no-one could of been prepared for a global pandemic, I feel what I have learnt during my degree has aided me to critically reflect – and to remember that the young people come first.

“Not many people can say that they are in the final year of University, in the middle of completing a research report and continuing to work with young people during a pandemic – however, I am taking it in my stride and if I am ever asked if I have dealt with a difficult situation I can hold my hands up and say ‘well, I was part of an amazing team of key workers, supporting young people through the Covid – 19 pandemic!’”

Senior lecturer in Youth and Community Work, Hayley Douglas, said: “Our Youth and Community work course aims to provide our students with transferable skills, and it is wonderful to hear how they have applied their learning in very challenging circumstances indeed.

“Our students are performing key roles in their communities keeping people safe, fed and looked after during the current pandemic.

“The work youth and community workers carry out means they are often unsung heroes – so I’d just like to take a moment to thank both our students, and their colleagues across the country, for the work they do.”



Spotted something? Got a story? Email [email protected]



Have a look at...

Level crossing safety plea to North Wales holidaymakers this Easter

Three ‘never events’ reported at health board during February

Clwyd South MS welcomes plans for baby loss certificates for bereaved parents

More detail on club accounts as owners will ‘continue to offer minority equity positions to strategic partners’

Turnover up 75% as Wrexham AFC say ‘losses shouldnt be repeated’ as payroll nears £7m

Off-road motorcyclists ‘using their bikes dangerously’ warned they ‘will be seized’

Saturday’s Wrexham Artisan Market to be ‘showcase’ of local and national products

MMA Event coming to north east Wales this weekend!

Rare newts thriving after north east Wales pond restoration

Plans for new studio flat above Wrexham fast food restaurant

Football Banning Order issued to Wrexham man for ‘pyro offences’

Ambulance Service ‘expecting the Bank Holiday period to be a busy one for us’