Youth work graduate returns To former university as part of Welsh Government Board

An alumnus of the Youth Work programmes at Wrexham Glyndwr University has returned – as part of the Youth Work Board for Wales.

Sharon Lovell, who is the Executive Director of the National Youth Advocacy Service, was appointed to the Board alongside a series of other Youth Work professionals across Wales when it was set up in Autumn 2018.

Among those was Wrexham Glyndwr University’s Dean of the Faculty of the School Of Social and Life Sciences, Simon Stewart, who joined Sharon and other Board Members for the meeting – the first to be held at the University and the first in North Wales.

Sharon  studied a Youth and Community Diploma in Wrexham more than two decades ago when Glyndwr was the North East Wales Institute.

She said: “I remember coming to the Plas Coch campus for the course – which I loved – and it is lovely coming back again.

“Seeing the campus again reminded me how much the two years I spent on the course helped shape my future career – what I learnt during that time has never left me.

“After leaving university, I started of working with young people who were homeless in Cardiff, which is where I am from. I also worked with a lot of young people who needed someone to help speak up for them, which is what led me to the National Youth Advocacy Service.

“Since being in that role, I started getting more concerned about the cuts to Youth Work and the impact of austerity, and when the Welsh Government stared looking for people for the Youth Work Board for Wales, I knew I wanted to contribute – and here I am.”

Mr Stewart added: “When the board was appointed in late October, one of the things I was keen to see happen was for meetings to be held up in North Wales, and I was delighted to be able to welcome fellow board members to the university.

“While the Board were here, they took the time to talk to a group of our current Youth and Community Work students – and it was great for our students to hear from one of our alumni just where studying with us can take you.”

Find out more about Wrexham Glyndwr University’s BA (Hons) Youth and Community Work (JNC) here: https://www.glyndwr.ac.uk/en/Undergraduatecourses/YouthandCommunityWork/