Three years ago Emily was a very quiet timid young person who could be easily overlooked within a crowded room. She would often be content with her own company or follow the crowd of friends who she would hang about with. Through consistency and offering opportunities to contribute and building up her self esteem today Emily is growing to be a capable young woman and pivotal member within the youth work we deliver here.

We are always keen to promote a mutual learning relationship between youth workers and young people and here are a couple lessons Emily has taught us:

From Dependency towards Inter-dependency

When a young person first comes to The Door they are quite dependent, but through us doing the simple things well, young people transition to become interdependent and want to give back tenfold to the supporters that have invested in them.

Never limit a young person to your standards of them

Emily asked whether she could get involved with detached work. This was something we really thought she would struggle with because although she had grown in confidence she was still shy. To our amazement Emily is a natural when engaging with young people who she’s never met before.

“The Door has helped me to build confidence and to get more involved in things such as raising money. I have learnt a lot about myself and have been greatly influenced by the staff. Without The Door I wouldn’t have had half the opportunities that I’ve had. I am very grateful for everything they have done for me”.