An Ode To Youth Work

I love youth work. Property is my job, but working with charities is my passion. I've spent 19 years dedicating myself to this kind of work, driven by a passion to make a difference in the lives of young people. Every moment has been a privilege. But it hasn't been easy.

I've been made redundant twice, and the truth is, charities like the one I set up are often at the mercy of funding cycles and the whims of donors. I've spent countless hours chasing funding, begging for scraps from people who often have no idea what it's like to work on the frontlines of social change.

And for most of my youth work career, I was working a minimum of 60 hours a week for a salary that rarely topped ￡30,000 per year - barely enough to survive in London.

But it's not just the finances that take its toll. Every Christmas, as head of the charity, I'd give an address to my team, and have to read out a list of names to honour the young people who, over the last 12 months, had lost their lives to violence, poverty, and neglect. It was a ritual that never got any easier. And yet, it was a reminder of why I did the work in the first place: to try and prevent those tragedies from ever happening.

And it wasn't just the young people who we worked with who were suffering. The impact on the youth workers' kids was devastating too. Because we were spending so much time looking after other people's kids, we couldn't spend time with our own. And the impact on the youth workers themselves was just as bad. I saw colleagues burn out and break down on a regular basis.

So I want to honour the dedication and hard work of all individuals who have chosen a career in the 'helping' professions. Your sacrifice is deserving of the highest recognition, yet rarely receives any.

From teachers, social workers, and youth workers, to nurses, doctors, mental health professionals, drug and alcohol workers (6million people - 18% of the UK workforce) - you are all crucial to our society.

So, to all the unsung heroes, I see you, I appreciate you. Take care of yourselves as well. Remember, you can't pour from an empty cup.