Youth Work in Long Stratton

Meet the Team

Anastasia - Youth Worker & Designated Safeguarding Lead

Hello again Long Stratton! It's been over a year since I introduced myself and my role as the Youth and Community Development Worker for Long Stratton, and what a year it's been!

Under the name of Long Stratton Youth Activities, which now sits within Long Stratton Town Council, we launched our regular Youth Café during May 2024. This continues to run during term time on Wednesdays after school for young people ages 11+. We also listened to feedback and now offer a Junior Youth Café approximately once a month, an occasional Evening Youth Café and trips and activities during school holidays. We have also recently launched Long Stratton Youth Council who are currently working on a consultation questionnaire to find out what is important to young people in Long Stratton, which will inform their decisions on what needs prioritising for young people locally.

We have recently welcomed Abi Booth - our new Youth Support Worker, to the LSTC and LSYA team. However, we wouldn't be able to operate without the support and hard work of our local volunteers, young and old, who have been committed to helping us in continuing to develop our offer to young people in the Long Stratton Area. If anyone is interested in volunteering as part of our team either regularly or on an occasional basis please get in touch.

Abi - Youth Support Worker

Hi, I'm Abi, your new Youth Support Worker. I believe that every young person holds within them a natural curiosity and a deep capacity for growth given the right environment, time and support. As a Youth Support Worker and qualified Forest School Leader, my aim is to nurture those quiet strengths, offering a calm, respectful space where young people can explore who they are and what they're capable of.

I'm passionate about learning through experience, whether that's gathering round a fire, creating with our hands, or simply stepping outside to reconnect with the world around us. I'll be bringing the spirit of adventure and discovery into the Youth Cafe, with thoughtful activities that encourage confidence, creativity, and connection with others.

Having grown up in Long Stratton, I feel a deep commitment to this place and the people in it. I believe in our community's ability to be a safe, joyful, and supportive place where young people can thrive. It's a privilege to give back to the town that shaped me, (although it was a village then) and to walk alongside it's next generation as they find their own way.

Guided by the belief that real development comes from within, I see my role as not directing, but as observing, listening, and responding, with patience, warmth, and trust.