Events

What’s going on during Youth Work Week?

Directory

The “Who’s Who” of youth work in Wales

Recruitment

Attracting young people into youth work

Awards

Introducing a new industry award

Best Practice

Ideas for your group

Youth champions

Have Your Say

We value your thoughts and suggestions

Thanks Sam…
We think your work deserves recognition!

Showcase of the best practice in Wales

We all learn from each other. In every walk of life, in every sector, people raise standards and improve the way they work by sharing ideas, experiences, and examples of best practice. And that’s what our Best Practice guide is all about.

Over the last few months we have been compiling a comprehensive guide to the best examples of youth work in Wales. The guide contains a review of over 40 activities and projects and is a showcase of youth work excellence. We hope you find it inspiring.

Download the Youth Work Best Practice guide

The top 40: Forty top ideas for your group

Here’s another chance to pick up some great new ideas for your group or activity. We have listed 40 of our favourite project ideas, compiled after consulting with our colleagues up and down the country. All these activities have actually happened, so if you think they seem a little ambitious – think again. When Youth workers and young people team up to make things happen – it’s amazing just what can be achieved.

Top 40 Ideas

  1. Create a young people’s forum.
  2. Hold a debate on life skills activities. These can be things like ironing, home safety, cooking meals, food hygiene – anything you like!
  3. Look at establishing an area set aside where young people can hang out and meet friends. This could contain things such as a pool table, widescreen TV, music system, games systems – and even sofas!
  4. Build a climbing wall for the whole community. This will provide an exciting and fun challenge for everyone!
  5. Raise lots of money in your area and travel to another country to work on a community aid project. This will make a real difference not just to the lives of others, but to the young people too.
  6. Help young people make their own film to tackle grime and litter problems in your local area. This will encourage people to clean up their act and make where you live a safer and healthier place to be.
  7. Organise days out for people with disabilities and get them involved in activities that they wouldn’t normally be able to do. This could include things like pottery, painting, horse riding, climbing and even swimming.
  8. Create a campaign for something young people really want to happen in their area, such as having a purpose built skate park.
  9. Help young people write and publish a booklet on something they feel strongly about and then distribute it to other young people. The more people that read it, the more people will get to know about it. They may even offer to help you find a way to resolve it.
  10. Set up a group of volunteers to create an after-school club to help fellow pupils and teachers and children that have special needs. Encourage leadership and teamworking skills.
  11. Hold your own “Oscars” awards night. Get young people to make their own films on topics such as bullying, drugs and health. It will give everyone a better understanding of these topics and will be great fun and glamorous too!
  12. Set up a conservation area and encourage young people to look after their natural surroundings. Young people could repair damaged paths and make the countryside a better place for everyone.
  13. Design a website so that young people to collect their views. It’s a great way to share ideas with the community and work together to make a real difference.
  14. Hold an awards night to celebrate local achievements. This can be anything from horticulture, computers, to sports and fitness training.
  15. Write and design a magazine with young people to highlight their issues and celebrate the achievements of the community.
  16. Make a documentary on issues that affect young people and invite everyone in your community to come and see it. It’s a great chance for young people to have a say and really make a difference.
  17. Organise an action-packed activity day. You could do activities like football, rugby, swimming or cycling. Young people will have fun and get fit at the same time.
  18. Get young people to learn about different cultures in your community and make new friends. They will learn about new foods, clothes, as well as exciting arts and crafts from around the world.
  19. Organise a game of rugby with a local team and get your friends involved! Young people can sell tickets to their friends and family to come and watch them in action too!
  20. Organise a dance workshop in your local area! Just think about how impressed young people will be when they see you perform!
  21. Organise a talent competition. It could be similar to “Britain’s Got Talent”. You could even have your own judges with heats and a final as well. It will be a great chance for young people to discover skills they never knew they had.
  22. Have your own Karaoke and dance night. It’s a fantastic way for young people to let their hair down and keep fit.
  23. Support young people in forming their own band and encourage them to play at a nearby venue. It will be a musical journey they’ll never forget and can be really proud of.
  24. Go along to an organised team-building day. It will give you everyone a challenge and get you all thinking in new ways.
  25. Organise a fundraising event or two for a good cause. It will benefit not only young people but also the people around you.
  26. Organise taster sessions in your local area covering lots of exciting activities, including digital media, painting and decorating or even circus skills! Don’t be afraid to offer new things that you’ve never organised before.
  27. Research your own community’s heritage and build a family tree. You will all find out so many interesting things that you never knew before. The young people could even build their own website to show off the results.
  28. Encourage the young people to get skilled and relax! Set up opportunities to go on courses. There are many choices out their for learning, at all levels in all subjects.
  29. Organise a quiz night and really their young brains into gear! You could make the questions as easy or as difficult as you want, and even have prizes for the best team!
  30. Organise a movie night with toffee apples, hotdogs and fruit kebabs. You could also hold your own Wii tournament.
  31. Be the detective! Have your own giant Cluedo night with non-alcoholic cocktails. You could even get the young people into fancy dress to avoid being recognised!
  32. Mask-erade! Get the young people to design their own masks and parade them with pride! You could have prizes for the most imaginative design with fun games and a disco too!
  33. Make a blast from the past by holding a school reunion! Get young people to meet up with friends they haven’t seen for a while and have a party.
  34. Organise a game of dodgeball or volleyball. Try it – they might like it!
  35. Get young people learning some new dance moves for the dancefloor! Why not go organise a belly dancing or street dance class?
  36. Can’t cook? Won’t cook! Why not organise a cookery competition for young people and make and sell healthy snacks.
  37. Organise a sports programme. Young people could play football for an hour and then try another sport of their choice. It’s a fantastic way to learn and keep fit at the same time!
  38. Have an open evening. Encourage young people to pop along to your youth club and find out what they’ve been missing out on! They can take part of lots of exciting activities and it’s a great way to make new friends.
  39. Clean up your act! Hold a litter pick and clean up day and make your local community a safer and healthier place to live. It really is the best way to make a difference!
  40. Get young people to team up with their friends and take over the running of the youth club for a day. They’ll discover skills they never knew they had.