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Meet the Team

Community Youth Worker: Cath Kelly
communityyouthworker@crediton.gov.uk

Cath is the Lead Youth Worker, having joined CTC in January 2022. Cath comes to CTC with over 30 years post qualifying experience as a youth worker, including as a Youth Work Manager for DCC Youth Services.  Most recently Cath worked at Exeter College as a Safeguarding Officer.  Cath brings a wealth of expertise and experience to the team including a passion for inclusion.

Cath works 3 days per week.  Cath is engaged in face-to-face youth work 2 days per week and spends one day a week in the office on strategic and developmental activities, including fundraising.

Cath is the Designated Safeguarding Lead for Crediton Town Council.

Cath lives in Crediton with her family and loves being outdoors in woodlands or on the beach, and enjoys gardening, sewing, and creative journaling when at home. 

Youth Worker in charge:
Sara Cummins

Sara joined the youth work team as a Part Time Sessional Youth Worker in June 2022 and brings a wealth of expertise in SEN and inclusion as well as a passion for creativity. Sara leads on Wednesday and Thursday at our Junior & Intermediate Youth Club (is youth worker in charge of these sessions).

Sara is a Qualified First Aider and has completed Initial Youth Work training with Space. Sara is just starting her Level 3 JNC Youth Work qualification.

Sara lives in Crediton with her family, and enjoys dog walking, the outdoors and curry.

Youth Support Worker:
Nicky Love 

Nicky joined the youth work team in November 2023.  He currently works with the Senior Youth Club and will be starting an Outdoor Youth Club in Spring 2024.

Initially clowning with Patch Adams MD and Maria's Children (art rehabilitation project for orphans in Russia), then a young person's homeless shelter, and the mental health charity Mind, Nicky has been working with young people, and adults experiencing mental health issues for well over 20 years now. 

Nicky enjoys teaching outdoor living skills, inspiring and encouraging confidence and competence with tool work. He also enjoys research into longevity and neuroscience and plays stringed instruments (notably banjo, to his daughter's annoyance).

Youth Support Worker:
Dee Saunders

Dee has lived in Crediton for thirty-five years and joined the Youth Work Team in February 2024. She currently works with the Senior Youth Group and has just started working in the new Quiet Youth Club which is held monthly on a Thursday evening.

Dee is passionate about supporting neurodiverse children and their families. She has over twenty years’ experience of parenting and working with children with autism and other additional needs. Her last role was a 1:1 Special Needs Teaching Assistant at Landscore Primary School. She has volunteered for Vranch House School in Exeter and is currently the Chairperson for the Crediton & District Playscheme for Children with Additional Needs.

Dee loves spending time with her family, walking in the countryside, cycling and sunny beach days. She enjoys going to the theatre and singing in a choir and has recently rejoined the Brown Paper Bag Theatre Company after a break of twenty-three years Her other love is cats.

Youth Peer Educator:
Ruby Hooper

Ruby joined the youth club team in February 2024 to work as a youth support worker. Ruby currently works with the girls group and the quiet club. Ruby is passionate about supporting young peoples mental health and confidence, as well as bringing awareness to the pressure and struggles of being a young person in society. 

The youth club is Ruby’s first job working with the youth community, she is looking forward to a future in working with young people. 

Ruby loves spending time with her family, baking, cooking and reading a ridiculous amount of books.

Volunteer Youth Support Worker:
Kai Barkla

Kai moved into Crediton late 2023, and at the beginning of the new year joined as a volunteer in the Crediton Youth Centre. Kai has previous experience volunteering at the Exeter RAMM as a visitor guide, this is the first time he has worked in an environment specifically catered towards young people. Kai is looking forward to learning not only from the Youth Centre itself but also from the young people themselves. At the moment, his main focus is helping with the Outdoor Club on Tuesday afternoons.

Kai has a background as an academic, doing an undergraduate course in Anthropology and Archaeology at Lampeter, UWTSD. He attended the BVAR summer field school in 2019, volunteering in Belize to help excavate Maya sites. Kai then did a masters course in Experimental Archaeology at Exeter University. He specialises as a Mesoamericanist, focusing on the Maya.

Kai has many other interests, but those most relevant to the Youth Centre are storytelling, cooking, game design and fieldcraft.

 

 


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