Thursday, May 24, 2007

Meeting With Debbie





I was very lucky on Tuesday to meet a young lady, Debbie Rumble, who is a youth development worker. I met up with her at the SureStart centre in Magpie Hall Road. I hate to admit it but I did not know that this centre was there. It is a really attractive building with a café that is really inviting. It has an open and sunny appearance. All the food is home made. If you like what you have eaten you can get a recipe to try it at home. It seems the perfect drop in for parents and their young children. But I was there to meet up with Debbie so was very good and just had a cup of tea.

Debbie explained to me some of the work she does with the youth in the area. One of the areas she works is Princes Park, so some of our young people will already know of her. She spends some of her time in the evenings just walking around the area talking to the young people she sees. It is to get a dialogue going and to find out what they are interested in and what they would like to do. This rather simplifies her work but I think anyone who works with the young will know one of the hardest things to do is to gain their confidence and get them to talk. Growing up is never easy and youngsters will not always open up to their parents, therefore this is where people like Debbie can help. Sometimes it is so much easier to talk to a stranger.

I am really looking forward to learning more about her work in the coming months.
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posted by Pat

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