Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to Putney I go!

Hey!

I am excited yet very sad at the same time today. I got my flight dates through today and I'm off to do my training tomorrow in Putney, London 'til Friday. So I fly now, on the 18th of May, big set back I know but you have to look on the bright side of things. At least I have more time to say good bye to people and I get to say a last goodbye to the young people I worked with.

It's such a shame, a few of them have said they'd like to keep in touch, so I might make another Blog, young people friendly for them to read. Hmm. We'll see.

I am pretty excited still. bit more nervous now and definitely nervous, especially about coming back.

1. What state is the country going to be in? 
2. Will I get uni sorted so I can be a full time lazy student? 
3. Where am I gonna live?
4.  If I get my full time studentness planned, I'm not gonna be here for the start of term... ahh!

Tonight on the news there was a piece on how young people across the country are suffering from the cuts in youth services. It was really good to see that people are picking this up finally. youth and community work is so valuable and important and you very rarely get to hear anything about it in the news unless it's linked with a school.

I was really lucky to have contact with youth service when I moved. At first I took part in a project for young people who were leaving school and then I got involved in the Duke of Edinburgh scheme and then with the Team that I am now leaving after working with for three and a half years or so.
Before moving I had always been involved in other things, like a church youth club, volunteering and Army cadets, I found them great fun and they gave me a boost. But the youth service stuff, it was different, I felt like I could make decisions for myself, I was in charge of my life, I could ask questions and be what I want to be, not just follow instructions.

This is what young people have been telling us about what we do. If I were to be me again at sixteen when the changes and cuts to services are made, I wouldn't be able to take part in any of the activities. I wouldn't be classed as vulnerable. So therefore the council would spend the least amount of money and time on me as possible. In reality, I was vulnerable at 16, as most people are, I lacked direction, I needed guidance and interaction with positive role models and other people my age in a positive environment, the majority of what I knew about sex and contraception was from dirty jokes I'd heard at cadets and on TV. When I was worn down from bullying at college and packed it in I was picked back up and helped to make a decision as to what to do with my life. Without that support I wouldn't be a youth worker and probably wouldn't be studying at Uni at all.

How can someone in an office dictate that youth workers should select and deselect people to work with based on their perceived vulnerability?

Tonight's rant has been inspired by shock. Two bosses from my team how now been refused their jobs. They re-applied for the same or similar job to what they do now and neither of them got the position. I am absolutely gutted. My colleagues and friends in the whole of the service are slowly being chipped away at  personally. They're breaking people all to come back round again in a few years time when some bright spark realises that they need to pay attention to Britain's future workers and adults.

That's all for now.

x

Fact: I give myself whiplash when I 'dance'

I have had a great weekend. It's been full of fun and frolics and quite a bit of alcohol. I shall have to repent my drunken ways for at least a week to let my liver recover, and the rest of my body. my feet feel like they might die and my neck is quite painful. every time I go out and have a bit of a dance, I get such a sore neck for days after. That says quite a lot about my 'moves'! 


All though I do dance like a freak, at least I don't try to hump people or grind about on the dance floor like a nymphomaniac. Every cloud has a silver lining! 


Myself and the dream team (sorry for stealing your name for us Hayley, it's just soo true) went for a spot of paint balling on Friday. hehe! what fun! then to town for a spot of drink and dance floor antics. then yesterday I went to the pub with Tashie and the gang. 

Which leads me onto my rant of the day. 

The use of the word 'childish' in arguments.


Let me take you back to one of my first posts, when I jumped over Peanut and his lady stormed off and disregaurded my apology. Peanut hasn't really spoken to Tash or I since, so when I saw him on his own at the bar yesterday in the pub I went and chatted to him. I hate leaving things untidy and feeling tension around people that I've known for years. that was fine, although he was adamant I was to apologise again. 


I later got tricked into going outside to speak to him, but his lady turned up as well and I was stuck in a corner. good job I'm not particularly intimidated by drunk people shouting at me. 


So back to my point. Yes, I am childish. I like having fun, playing pranks, showing people love and making people laugh. However, I have always, even when I was actually a child, tried to treat people with respect and listen to what they're saying. Which is what I was doing when I was told that I was 'not listening and being childish'. Regardless of the fact that I was back into a corner being launched and screamed at by a drunk woman. 


Not only that, Why does it make it worse when you actually do what they want and listen and be reasonable? I think she might be one of those people who can't articulate their points through words and find it easier to square up and be aggressive. 


Now that's what I would call childish. 


Well, I do feel better now that's out of my system.

Thanks for reading x x x x