Hi, I’m currently 17 years old and I first started attending the youth club in 2021, when I was 13. At that time, it was right in the middle of the pandemic, and all the sessions were running online. The first one I joined was a reading group.

At first, I wasn’t hugely excited about it, but I enjoyed reading and needed something to do during isolation.

“After just a few sessions, it became one of my favourite things.”

Everyone in the group was new to me, and we shared similar interests – which was something I hadn’t really experienced before. Even before we started meeting in person, the group gave me the chance to connect with people who felt like me.

The sessions themselves were great – I loved the books we read and the conversations we had. But…

…“what stood out most were the friendships I made.”

Around that time, I had started struggling with my mental health. Because of the pandemic and not having close friends at school, I didn’t really have anyone I could talk to about how I was feeling.

But at the youth club, I found an environment where I could talk, and where I felt listened to. The youth workers took me seriously and helped me feel safe. Even when I didn’t want to talk, just being in that positive, welcoming space made me feel better.

Youth club also gave me loads of opportunities to try new things. The trips we went on – like camping and outdoor adventures – were amazing, and it was so special to be able to do those things with friends at such a young age. I also got to take part in creative projects and community events, which helped me gain confidence and skills I now use in my part-time job.

I learned to play guitar through the youth club, which is something I really value. I’m not sure I would’ve had the confidence to start – or to keep going – without that support.

“The youth club was always the place I looked forward to the most each week, and the one I was most sad to leave at the end of the night.”

Overall, it’s been somewhere that’s consistently helped me grow – in happiness, in confidence, and in the skills and passions I carry with me now.