Caerphilly teen wins national award for youth work (From Campaign Series)
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Caerphilly teen wins national award for youth work
3:20pm Tuesday 5th March 2013 in News
HELPING OTHERS: Curtis James, 17, who works at The Basement at Blackwood Library, has own an Excellence Award for youth work
A CAERPHILLY teenager has won a national award for his work in helping young people with drug and sexual health issues.
Curtis James, 17, of Penyrheol, who is part of the Basement Team of the Caerphilly County Borough Council Youth Service, was nationally recognised for his youth work in Wales last week.
Mr James was awarded with a Record of Achievement certificate at The Youth Work in Wales Excellence Awards 2013 at the SWALEC stadium in Cardiff.
The award is given to individuals who have successfully participated in the Reach the Heights youth work apprentice programme.
Mr James has been a part of the Basement Team project at Blackwood library since he was 16, a project that aims to support young people aged between 11 and 25, through providing them with information on how to tackle major problems such as drug taking, bullying and housing issues.
He also works at Llanbradach youth centre and had a major role in the editorial team the Youth4U website, a website dedicated to the young people of Caerphilly county borough, and serves as an events manager, providing information on upcoming events.
Mr James is also an advocate of the importance of good sexual health, and he hands out free contraception to youths in need.
Following the presentation James said: “I am so pleased to have won an award.
“It has been a true honour and pleasure to have served a year in the Caerphilly County Borough Council Youth Service and I hope to further my experience in working in this field.”
The Innovate project, run by the Youth Service, works with young people aged 14-16 who have been excluded or at risk of exclusion from mainstream education, and with young people aged 16-25 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), was also a finalist in the awards. For more information about the Caerphilly County Borough Youth Service, visit: www.youth4u.co.uk
