Helena Widdowson, Dip HE Youth and Community graduate 2002
I have worked in youth services for 15 years in east and west Sussex. I started as a volunteer youth worker and progressed into a part-time position where I was in charge.
I left home at the age of 16 and my education was affected by my family break-up. I lacked confidence that I was academic enough to go to university. I chose to study at the School of Education as the course fitted around my family life, being on a Monday evening. I have a young family and could not afford to take time out to study during the day.
My time at the school was a life-changing experience. The course tutors enabled me to value my work experience and I gained confidence in my academic abilities. I was encouraged by the course tutor to become a mentor for the other students on the course: this was the start of continuing my relationship with the university after I had completed the course.
On a personal level I made some very special friends on the course and found a passion for learning and how it can change lives. My fondest memory was when my course group brought kettles to make cups of tea as there were no shops open on campus on a Monday night, now, 10 years later there's a Costa!
After I completed the course, I was promoted within my organisation straight away. When I decided to leave full-time youth work, I decided to become a freelance trainer and write my own bespoke training courses for other organisations. I never really left the University of Brighton however, and started working here as a mentor, then a placement supervisor and now as a part-time lecturer.
I also run my own business in freelance consultancy where all my training is about enabling people to gain confidence and grow through education and believing that they can do it!
I have a passionate belief that learning changes lives, like it changed mine. My goals for the future include to continue learning and to take my work into other sectors, moving the values of youth work into work with business.
