Vibe Member 2017 - 2023

“Being a member of Vibe, the youth work had a transformative impact on my life, providing me with invaluable opportunities that shaped my confidence, skills, and career path. Through Vibe, I engaged in social action projects, served as Deputy Member of Youth Parliament for Knowsley, and built strong friendships with like-minded peers. The support and encouragement from Vibe’s youth workers empowered me to take on leadership roles, including becoming a school governor and serving on the Liverpool City Region’s Fairness and Social Justice Advisory Board. The influence of my youth workers gave me the confidence to pursue further opportunities, leading to paid employment at YPAS, where I worked on youth participation and social change initiatives. Now training as a Secondary English teacher, I credit Vibe UK for sparking my passion for working with young people and creating lasting community impact”

“Being involved with Vibe as a young person created so many opportunities for me and the impact of its services was truly transformative. Joining youth cabinet, and subsequently becoming a Vibe volunteer and getting involved in numerous social action projects, not only improved my confidence on a personal level but also enabled me to do things I otherwise would not have done. I served as Deputy Member of Youth Parliament for Knowsley, attending local council meetings and working on campaigns which provided me with a unique insight into local democracy whilst allowing me to stand up for issues which other young people cared about. I also built strong friendships with other likeminded young people, all of whom I would not have met if Vibe didn’t exist.”

Vibe also allowed me to build a network and find other opportunities. I served as a member of Liverpool City Region’s Fairness and Social Justice Advisory Board, became a school governor, and was nominated for the Positive Role Model award for Age at the National Diversity Awards as a result of my campaigning with Vibe. I would not have had the confidence to put myself forward for these roles and throw myself into these opportunities without the vital encouragement of the staff at Vibe who supported me through everything.

I went on to work for YPAS (Young Person’s Advisory Service) for three years, starting as a Peer Researcher on a national project called the Peer Action Collective tackling youth violence, and subsequently being kept on in paid employment working as a member of the Participation team. I left my job at YPAS in September 2024 to begin my Secondary English PGCE, and I am currently working towards this qualification and beginning my teaching career. My involvement at Vibe and accessing their services as a young person built my confidence particularly in terms of campaigning, public speaking and networking, but most importantly it allowed me to discover my passion which is working with young people and creating positive change in communities. Looking back, the opportunities given to me at Vibe paved the way for what I am doing today, and I am eternally grateful.

Vibe Member 2017 - 2023

“My name is Amber, and I’m currently work in the probation service. I first became involved with Vibe UK when I was 14, and youth worker Helen came to my secondary school to promote make your mark!”

“Vibe had such a huge impact on me growing up. It gave me a space outside of home and school to channel my energy and emotions, and the youth workers always believed in me, especially when I didn’t believe in myself. Being part of Youth Cabinet helped me build confidence, make lifelong friends, and develop skills like public speaking, which I was terrified of at first! Writing about my time at Vibe on my university application made me stand out, and I truly believe it helped me get accepted into all five of my choices. Now, working in the probation service, I carry the empathy and support that Helen and Charlotte showed me, and I can only hope to make a difference in other people’s lives the way they did for me.”

During my time in Vibe, I was an active part in youth cabinet. This was chance for young people of Knowsley to meet with other likeminded people, and try and influence changes across the north west for other young people. It have the skills to speak with others from across the north west to see what were the common problems we all had. From vibe, I met one of my closest friends here, Dean Leake, and even after we left youth cabinet due to going to university, we continued to meet up, including in going to Greece in 2022! My university application was affected due to covid, as my A levels were cancelled. On my personal statement, I wrote about my time in Vibe and Youth Cabinet, and the influences it on me. I believe that this made me stand out from other applicants, and I got into all 5 of my universities. I ended up going and graduating from the University of Chester in 2024 with a criminology degree.

Helen and Charlotte were both my youth workers during my years in Vibe, and I owe them both a lot for dealing with teenage me, who could be a lot to deal with.

I owe Vibe, and Helen and Charlotte a lot. It gave me a space to channel my emotions and energy that wasn’t home or school. They always believed in me even when I doubted myself, which as a teenager I did a lot! They both encouraged me to get over my public speaking fears.

As an adult I am so grateful to the youth workers who never doubted my ability to do whatever I wanted. The confidence they gave me as an insecure teenager has stuck with me since. The empathy and zero judgement the Vibe youth workers have is something I can only strive for.