Taking part in the Graduate Talent Voucher Scheme, funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, gave her an insight into the opportunities available locally by taking up an extended placement with young people’s charity GISDA.
As part of her placement, Gwen has been working alongside GISDA’s housing support team to support young parents.
Sharon Thomas, who runs the project, has only praise for her:
“Gwen’s been able to engage with young people we haven’t been able to reach for a long time. I think because she’s not so far from their age, and just a lovely person, they’ve really clicked with her. She’s been able to break down those barriers with about five young people as their key worker in such a short space of time, by giving them time and the attention they deserve. Everyone has been impressed.”
Gwen studied BA Childhood and Youth Studies through the medium of Welsh at Bangor University, and explains that part of the secret has been winning over trust and building the relationships over time:
“In a way, I’m just approaching it in terms of being a good friend. I’ve done things like help a young woman to sort out her CV, which led to them getting a job, I’ve helped someone sort out a passport, looked into mother and baby groups, then gone with them to those groups so they’re less shy about going on their own. I’ve also helped them with accessing food banks and sorting out the house, so they feel a bit more in control of things.”
GISDA’s Chief Executive Sian Tomos says that as a charity, resources are scarce, and the Graduate Talent Voucher Scheme has helped fill a gap in terms of the support they can offer.
“I think it’s a great scheme because it gives both new graduates and charities the opportunity to work together for the benefit of all. We did have a Lottery grant to run a scheme like this in the past, but that funding pot ran out and this has enabled us to have that resource to give young people the support they really need. When we saw Gwen’s CV, we put two and two together and I’m so glad we did, because it’s been a great match.”
The company has also received valuable CPD training from academics within the School of Education and Health Sciences, with funding from the Skills and Innovation Voucher Scheme. A total of 55 Gisda staff have benefited from training courses such as the “Social Worker Safeguarding Course” and the “Children and young people development Course.”
GISDA are not strict about criteria when it comes to supporting young people, but generally work with people aged 16-25, some of which come to them through the housing department or health visitors or social services, and sometimes directly through friends, family or school.
Sian says, “Over the years, we’ve adapted our projects based on what young people say they need from us. There’s a strong element of being creative and giving young people the chance to decide for themselves without too much pressure. We have a lot to offer young people, but we’re always looking for new ways to fund impactful projects.”
So what has Gwen learnt from the experience?
“I’ve learnt so much, but mostly that it’s about creating relationships and that it isn’t all about giving people ‘stuff’. They want someone to talk to and it’s good to have someone there who will listen and be a friend, be that go-between between the young person and getting those support services, things like health or mental health support especially. The best thing has been the people – the people you meet – you can learn something new every day and no one day is the same. I know that what we can do together can help little families a lot, even if it’s a five-minute job.”
