Story:Abid Hussain
Earlier this month I visited a small building in the centre of Osgathorpe Park called the Pavilion. It was full of young people enjoying themselves. Here I met a young man called Imran Ali, a youth worker who obviously had a natural ability to inspire young people.
Imran, a resident of Firvale for 25 years, used to work in the Firvale Forum and the Pakistani Advice Centre before going abroad for some time out. Now back and raring to go he starts his new post as the Youth Activity Officer for Sheffield City Council.
I asked Imran what brought him to Youth Work:
“I got involved in a project called ‘Wot’s the Crack’, that pushed me further into helping youngsters.”
Imran has done a lot of work in the local mosques helping young people learn about life and different religions and keeping them off the streets.
“It’s not about 24 hours a day prayer, it’s about knowing what’s right from wrong.”
Imran understands that young people face lots of issues in our community, but he is very positive that there are solutions to divert young people from trouble.
“Young people need more opportunities available to them, we need to understand individual cultures, they need role models, and those delivering information to youngsters need to understand how to engage with young people. People need to understand the values of young people.”
He felt that mosques and the education system had important roles to play to help young people develop their own ethics and morals.
“We need the local education authority to understand young people, come into the community to interact with them and then maybe we’d see some changes. As a community we need to have more links so we can work together to deliver activities for young people in places like mosques, churches, youth clubs and the streets! We need more Youth Clubs, parental classes; we need to take young people on countryside trips to educate them about their environment”.
Imran works most evenings teaching a short Civil Leadership course which has ASDAN recognition. If any young people would like to take part please come into the Pavilion on Tuesday or Thursday evenings between 6 – 9pm. Alternatively contact him on 07768 888 716.