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