Romsey Mill’s Youth Development Team has established a bespoke programme as part of its commitment to nurture young indigenous leaders, to provide them with valuable life skills and experience, and to help them grow into leaders within their local community.

Through our Young Leaders Programme, we have created opportunities for many young people to volunteer and support the running of our youth development work in Cambridge, and areas of South Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. 

Many of our current volunteers are young leaders or attended Romsey Mill activities when they were young people themselves.

Romsey boy Sam York started volunteering with us in Summer 2022; but he has been participating in Romsey Mills youth activities for a lot longer. 

Sam says:

"I first started coming to Romsey Mill 7 years ago when I was 14 as part of a Step-Up group from Coleridge run by two youth workers, called Jon and Naomi.

Step-Up worked as a way, out of school, for me to be in a more friendly atmosphere and working on team-building skills, friendships, how we feel and stuff like that.

Jon then ran a weekly group for me and my friends which was a nice way to still get support after finishing Step-Up and to stay involved with each other.

We did trips to London and residentials to Norfolk which were a nice escape from the normality of everyday life; and it felt like a mini vacation away from responsibility and school."

"Romsey Mill has helped me step outside of my comfort zone by allowing me to do things that I would have never done before. I’ve been part of youth clubs, gone on residentials and had one-to-one support too. The youth workers have helped me through personal struggles and hard times."

Sam now helps to run a weekly youth club at Romsey Mill Centre, with members of our Youth Development Team. Sam says:

“The reason I wanted to volunteer was I wanted to give my thanks and show my appreciation by assisting the Romsey Mill team as much as I can. I really enjoy getting to know the young people and passing on my knowledge of what Romsey Mill is all about.”

Yasmin Tyler, the Romsey Mill Youth Development Worker who runs this youth club says of Sam: 

“I honestly believe we could not run our Tuesday youth club without Sam. He always arrives with a great attitude and smile on his face. He jumps straight into setting everything up. When it comes to practical things, he is amazing. He always checks in on the young people as well, to see how they are; and he actively engages with them during each of our sessions."

"Sam really is a star!”