Johnny, our frontline youth worker warns of a lost generation of young Scots

Our veteran youth worker has urged greater support for Scotland’s children as he stands down after three decades on the frontline.

Johnny Hendry, who has been working with youngsters in Govan for more than 30 years, called for urgent action to ease the damage inflicted by the pandemic on the lives of many young people.

He retired from Aberlour Children’s Charity yesterday and said he is stepping back with mixed emotions after years of austerity undermined funding for life-changing youth services. Johnny said:

 I’ve been the luckiest man in Govan to have worked with so many brilliant young people but it’s no easier for them now than it was when I started. In many ways, it’s harder.

The lockdowns have affected young people in ways that we haven’t even measured yet never mind addressed.

There is a whole generation that lost so much during those years, whether socialising or education, and they need to be our number one priority. 

They sacrificed a huge amount and we should be making that up to them. 

The epidemic of mental health problems, stress, anxiety, depression, affecting young people, for example, is already clear.

There are children being left behind right now, who are disengaging right now, and they need more help and support not less.

Johnny ran a popular youth club in Govan for years, as part of Aberlour's Youthpoint Glasgow Service, and said it was a safe haven for young people whose home life might have been affected by social issues like poverty, substance use, or domestic abuse. He said:

Just knowing we’re there for them can make all the difference in the world.

We built relationships with young people that lasted long after they left the club. It is about building trust and relationships but also consistency about being there, year after year.”

Johnny hails the people of Govan for their strength and spirit and says their communities deserve greater backing. He said:

There are social issues here like elsewhere but protecting young people from the impact of those issues has to be the priority.

Why can’t there be a hub for youth services in Govan, for example?

One place, pulling everything together, where young people know they can come for help or advice or just a game of pool and some company.

That should not be impossible but funding is so difficult. We cut this and cut that but every pound spent on improving the lives and chances of young people is a pound invested in our future.

We get that investment back ten times over when they grow up healthy and happy.

Johnny said their importance cannot be overestimated for providing a destination away from drink, drugs, and crime while also building a crucial support network for young people seeking a new direction.

Johnny said:

The actual activities are only the tip of the iceberg. It might be the reason young people come but not the reason they stay.

The clubs are a meeting place, a support network. It is not easy to build trust with young people. It is hard work but the rewards are immense.

To help a young person gain confidence, to find something at school that engages them, to get a job, start a family? There is nothing more rewarding.

Helping one child find a foothold in life is enough in itself but the real challenge is to cement that, to make sure their children get the same chances and their children’s children.

That is all I have tried to do and I can’t think of a more important job.

Aberlour paid tribute to the veteran youth worker as he retires and said he has helped change the lives of countless young Glaswegians.

Maxine Hawthorn, assistant director, said:

Johnny leaves an amazing legacy in Govan. He will be missed by Aberlour but just as missed in the communities where he helped so many young people for so many years.

His tireless support, emotional and practical, helped many of them find a foothold and forge a secure future that, without him, would not have been possible.