North East Youth Research Forum

Research is a vital part of assessing and developing good youth work practice. The Unit has carried out a number of research projects in the region, and has worked with a range of professional and academic partners to progress a greater understanding of youth work and youth services. In 2007, the Unit became a founding member of the North East Youth Research Forum. The forum is currently made up of colleagues from the Universities of Newcastle, Northumbria, Durham, Sunderland and Teeside as well as a representative from the Unit. As the group develops, we will be expanding membership to give a broader representation from youth services, as well as the academic institutions.

Terms of Reference for the North East Youth Research Forum

1.      Promote research networks between individuals, organisations and institutions that are interested in young people, youth issues and working with young people in the North East of England.

2.      Encourage greater use of youth research by policy-makers, managers and practitioners working with young people

3.      Increase awareness of the variety of types and approaches to research, including peer research by and with young people, practitioner, evaluation and participatory research

4.      Promote the development of ‘research-minded’ practice in work with young people

5.      Identify the future research needs in the North East, including topics for future research, possibilities for improving support, dissemination, information sharing through the web, seminars, learning sets and so on

6.      Explore possibilities for regional-level research collaboration

Group Members:

Professor Sarah Banks and Ms Jean Spence, School of Applied Social Sciences at Durham University

Dr Tracy Shildrick, University of Teeside Youth Research Group

North East Detached Youth Work Forum (NEDYWF)

The North East Detached Youth Work Forum was setup in 1980 and was originally known as North East Regional Detached Organisation (NERDO). Its aims at that time were to provide support to workers, challenge the establishment of single worker posts, and information sharing. NERDO was heavily involved in the establishment of the National Federation for Detached Youth Work, which took place as a result of workers expressing unhappiness about the role the National Youth Agency had previously played in supporting detached work.

The Regional Youth Work Unit was approached in May 2005 by the North East Detached Youth Work Forum, with a view to the Regional Unit taking on a role facilitating the Forum. This was agreed and the Unit now carries out administrative and organisational functions for the Forum. Over the past year, the mailing list has trebled in size and the Forum now meets bimonthly in Durham and Gateshead. In November 2005, a hugely successful conference was held at Mount Oswald Golf Course in Durham, attracting over 60 delegates from across the region. A second regional conference is being planned for October 2006, which will also include the Forum’s Annual General Meeting.

In June 2006, a planning day was held at the Regional Youth Work Unit to carry out the planning and development which would put the Forum on a stronger footing and enable it to become more than just an information sharing network. Small sub-groups agreed to carry out work on the history of the Forum, membership and constitution of the group, marketing and publicity, and training.

For more details about the North East Detached Youth Work Forum, contact Sarah Warren from Walker YMCA on 0191 276 5327 or at walkerymca@yahoo.co.uk