Debbie's Story

‘My name is Debbie, I am 15 years old and I have been through hard times and I didn’t really know where I stood in this generation with being a young person and not feeling involved in anything and feeling like my words will never be listened to and acknowledged by anyone who can make a different or help others make a difference.

I met The Youth Association in summer 2022 when they were doing a programme called Healthy Holidays which I got involved with and I enjoyed it a lot and it made me happy to join in with a group of people that made me feel comfortable. Ever since I met them for Healthy Holidays I had gone to it near enough every day after. Since I have been going to The Youth Association we have done many things to help the community and I also became part of the Leeds Youth Alliance and Halton Moor community ambassadors. We have done many different activities such as giving out food parcels to our local community, afternoon tea, bingo night for the elderly people. I have also taken part in doing interviews in Compton Centre for Leeds Community Foundation.

There was a time when I didn’t come to The Youth Association because of my mental state and I made my youth worker aware of it and they gave me options to help me and support me. After that, the youth workers helped me in so many ways I never though I needed helping in and I will forever appreciate my youth workers for how much they have helped me become the person I am today.

My plans for the future is to go to Leeds city college and I have chose the course public services to become a youth worker and after I have done college I would like to volunteer to be a youth worker to help other young people and be the change that changed and helped me.’