Newtown youth worker shortlisted for award

Tutor and youth worker Stephen Parkinson (pictured) is a firm believer in the power of positive thinking to achieve goals in life.

 

It’s something he instils in the teenagers with whom he works at Powys Complementary Education and Youth Service in Newtown. The 30 students, aged between 12 and 16 years, who attend The Pathway Centre have found it impossible, for a variety of reasons, to attend mainstream school.

 

Some have behaviour problems, some have been bullied and others have suffered a range of illnesses or medical conditions. But Stephen’s ‘positive thinking’ approach has been making a big difference to their outlook and prospects for the future.

 

He explained: “I tell the students that, if they think positively and really believe that they are capable of achieving things, they will achieve them. I have found that it works for me and for the students.”

 

Such has been the impact of his work youngsters that Stephen, 41, a father of two who lives near Llanidloes, has been shortlisted for a coveted Youth Work Wales Excellence Award for the second year in a row.

 

The awards are organised by the Welsh Assembly Government, local authorities and the Voluntary Youth Service, to celebrate and highlight innovative and inspiring projects and individuals whose work is making a major positive difference to the lives of young people.

 

Said Stephen: “I’m really excited and proud to have been shortlisted for the second year. It’s great to be recognised by your peers for doing a good job. I feel a very lucky man because I love my job. I am fortunate that I can communicate with teenagers and they are able to relax and talk about what is going on in their lives.

 

“It’s amazing how easy it is to improve someone’s life. You just have to be able to give them the time and the changes that you see are fantastic.”

 

Not only does he work with the teenagers but also their parents, having established a successful home mediation project to improve behaviour, learning potential and parenting skills.

 

He spends 90 minutes with a family at the end of a school day talking to the parents and the student. “Parents feel they are getting extra support and the students are getting structure and normality in their life,” he explained.

 

“The parents get a clear picture of how the students are doing in school and we get a clear picture of how the students are doing at home. It makes such a difference.”

 

Last year’s nomination was for his work as Duke of Edinburgh Award co-ordinator for The Pathway Centre. Over the past five years, he and four colleagues have guided pupils to bronze and silver awards and this year student Josh Jones is going for gold.

 

Josh’s mum, Newtown Mayor Councillor Joy Jones, nominated Stephen for this year’s award for outstanding full time youth worker.

 

Stephen has worked at the centre for nearly nine years and, apart from heading the physical education department, he also specialises in behaviour management and mediation and is a learning coach.

 

Outside of school hours, he enjoys helping his students as much as he can, whether its  running a go-kart project, accompanying a star football student to a London club for a weekend trial or just being there for them on the end of the phone.

 

It is estimated that there are approximately 20,000 youth worker in Wales, whose endeavours benefit more than 300,000 young people by providing recreational, social and non-formal educational opportunities.

 

The winners will be announced tonight (Thursday) at an awards ceremony hosted by Mai Davies at The Quay Hotel, Deganwy.