The Professional Association’s Annual Conference 2024

The Association will gather for its 2024 Annual Conference at Wrexham University, located in the north of Wales, with a long and rich history of inspiring and enabling; transforming people and places and driving economic, social and cultural success. They will provide a fitting location for us to explore the conference theme of ‘Reclaiming the Political Agenda: A Call for Action?’.

Reclaiming the Political Agenda:
A Call for Action?

Youth and Community Work is multi-faceted, its meaning and purpose often debated, and perhaps, unclear to those outside of the field.  Various models of Youth and Community Work exist, ranging from a focus on the provision of leisure and diversionary activities which frame young people as a problem, to other more ‘radical’ models that seek the participation and empowerment of young people to challenge social inequality and work towards social justice.  The history of Youth and Community Work is steeped in 200 years of British social, political, and economic contexts. The impact of austerity over the last 13 years has cemented the neoliberal agendas at play since 1979. More recently Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic have shown that the political voice of young people is not listened to, and the extent to which the diverse range of young people’s voices are represented in Youth Participation is questionable. As Youth and Community Work educators how do we ensure that practice education is rooted in empowerment and participation against a backdrop of neoliberalism and austerity? How do we reclaim the political agenda in Youth and Community Work education to ensure that young people are heard in society?    

This year, the conference aims to place politics firmly on the agenda as we debate and discuss the role of politics in Youth and Community Work education.  Are we agents of social control or are we agents of social change? How do we ensure that Youth and Community Work focuses on the political aspect of practice to bring about social justice? As anti-oppressive practitioners, we are committed to addressing oppressive structures in society but to what extent does this happen in educational settings and practice; and what is the role in Youth and Community Work education in making it so?

The conference will explore these questions through seminar presentations, research dissemination and group discussions. Our emphasis, as with all annual conferences, will be on dialogue, discussion, and debate as we reconvene to refresh our commitment to youth and community work education. 

seminars will address:

We are inviting contributions to themes that embrace a breadth of learning, practice and research activity related to three continuing contemporary themes:

1.       Policy: How and where might the political agenda be influenced? Are there examples of good practice that can be shared? What action is needed?    

2.       Research: What research exists or needs to be undertaken to support a political agenda in Youth and Community Work? Are there examples of good practice that can be shared? What action is needed?    

3.       Practice: What work is being done by colleagues in the field that can be shared? Are there examples of good practice? What action is needed?    

what to expect from the programme

The conference programme will commence at lunchtime on Wednesday 26th June and close with lunch on Friday 28th June.

The conference programme is centred around four aspects:

Sector news and updates: with invited guest speakers and presentations from member activity across the sector.

Keynotes, seminars and optional workshops: presentations and discussions led by members and students based on their research and professional practice.

Networking and collaboration: space to connect with members through social time, workshops, excursions and a celebration of peoples publications this year.

Association business: the conference includes a short AGM including a report of activities for 2023-2024 and the election of Directors and Strategic Development Committee members for 2024-2025.

Please click on the link below to book your place

Please note, bookings do NOT include accommodation