They cut youth services, like they attacked the poor,vulnerable,ill, weak,``those left out of the game`` so
young folk, had no role models to talk too.
No one listened . . .when
youth workers told them . . . .anyway they closed centres .
.closed Places they were listened too.
No one was detached on street
corners
hanging around ...chatting...laffing...in COLD wet RAIN warmth.
So they never got to share any ideas
discuss uncomfortable feelings. . . Experience discussion...work ``stuff``out
internilize thoughts express loads of feelings.
Stopped going into schools, delivering lessons,assemblies, operating listening posts,playing soccer at breaks..sitting sharing ``bait`` (food) among youth may not have a dinner....
Because we now have no jobs
we have little or indeed no money
Many like me were the resources..brought `inside sense` of belonging ...creating community...flexing ideas...developing residential or all night youthie..
We have to live life on the
dole, --offered zero hour contracts --4-19 age range...
No one listened to us
All we wanted to do was listen
to them . . .
trying hard not to judge
Accepted them ... many for first time felt valued by Adults..
They needed us to listen,
BUT THEN why would POWER listen?
Our client base don`t vote,are often poor..always labelled...why would you listen to those youth workers, often they are labelled too..
we worked in some funny ways...
attached
outreaching
detached
closed
open
`what ever you called what we did it `was always about creating methods . . . accepted them.....tried to model improve, plus explore, present behaviour.
No one listened when simple
youth workers, often imagined to be slightly on the left..
we told them if you do not listen . .
well
They did not get heard . . .when without us they never really did.
if you do not open the youth
clubs they will not be able to visit,,,,stop us hanging around street corners...others will take our place..sometimes although hard our spirit remained on the streets...
That sense of hope discovered..got washed down the drain of the streets we worked...
Replaced by great big hill of despair..
We never got listened
too
they never got heard
we are on the dole...that a tough gig
unemployed . . . . . . .
. .some of them
they never went back to the corner..
some of them are DEAD