Double award winners for Glasgow Family Support Service
Aberlour – Scotland’s Children’s Charity has won two prestigious awards at the National Youth Work Awards for going above and beyond for young people in Glasgow.
The Aberlour Family Support Service based in Glasgow won the Community Based Youth Work award for demonstrating that by working with young people and local partners, thriving communities with young people at their heart can be created.
And Julie Craig, Aberlour Young People’s Worker, won Youth Worker of the Year for developing a new and innovative youth work approach, delivering life changing outcomes for years to come at last night’s awards, which took place at the Crown Plaza hotel in Glasgow.
The Aberlour Family Support Service has been supporting young people in Glasgow for many years. The Youthpoint team, part of the service, helps children and young people living in areas with high levels of deprivation, crime and drug use. Crucially, youth workers reach out to young people who are being missed by other services, by meeting them on their territory – the streets – to build trusting relationships.
Gary, a young person supported by Youthpoint, said: “You always hear how people and organisations try and change lives but most of the time nothing happens – with Aberlour they have actually been changing lives for years.”
Julie Craig, as part of the Youthpoint team, was nominated for the award for her outstanding work as a youth worker, whose empathy and experience has helped many young people to overcome the barriers of social isolation and deprivation.
Morgan Ross praised Julie’s approach, saying: “I don’t know where I would be without Julie, she helped me throughout a very challenging time of my life. She became my next of kin and encouraged me to believe in myself.”
Michelle King, Aberlour Service Manager, said: “I am so proud of my team. Everyday they go above and beyond to support the young people of Govan. They see a spark and potential in many young people which others often overlook. By helping our young people to believe in themselves we can help them achieve their goals and the bright future they deserve.”
Julie Craig, Young People’s Worker and award winner, said: “I was thrilled to be nominated for this outstanding award and I can’t believe I have won. From my own experiences I understand the challenges many of our young people face and understand how hard life can be at different times throughout their life. By being there to listen and to provide practical and emotional support for each young person they can be supported to over come those challenges and to flourish.”
The annual National Youth Work Awards celebrates youth work and the youth workers who make a difference every year in the lives of young people. They are aimed at individual youth workers, managers, projects or groups for work that is delivered in youth work settings or in other settings, using a youth work approach.