TEENAGERS have been rewarded for putting in hard work on qualifications and projects run by Islington Council's Y-Truck mobile youth centres.<br>Young people have trained to be lifeguards, football coaches, and taken part in courses ranging from personal development to bike repair and photography.<br>The council's two Y-Trucks are mobile youth centres, with trained and experienced staff, which travel around the borough reaching young people in their neighbourhoods and estates, in locations agreed with the police.<br>They are funded by Islington Council, EC1 New Deal for Communities, Homes for Islington and the Safer Islington Partnership.<br>A group of 14 young people from across the borough have been given certificates by youth workers and Cllr Ursula Woolley, Islington Council's Executive Member for Children and Young People.<br>Cllr Woolley said: "They all learned a lot and got some useful new skills.<br>"Some of the older young people achieved lifeguard qualifications and have already started work at Islington swimming pools.<br>"I'm delighted we've been able to help them with their first jobs, especially in times like these.<br>"It was a privilege to meet these young people who've achieved so much.<br>"The Y-Trucks offer young people a huge range of things to do and are an important part of the £5.5 million Islington Council spends on youth services each year."<br>One success for the Y-Truck team has been its lifeguard qualification scheme, which has led to young people becoming professional lifeguards.<br>Among them is Shiden Mezghebe, 18, from Highbury, who along with friends passed the difficult 12-week course<br>"We learned different ways to rescue people out of the pool depending on their injuries, and we learned first aid and CPR," he said.<br>"We had to do a speed test where we had to go from one side of the pool to the other and rescue a casualty in 65 seconds," he said.<br>"It was a little bit difficult but we managed to do it."<br>The Y-Truck team also helps young people who are in need of extra support.<br>Successes in this area include helping a 14-year-old boy who was on the verge of being excluded from school because of aggression when he came to the Y-Truck.<br>Youth workers from the team helped him manage his anger, stop fighting and settle better at school.<br>A group of young women aged 13-16 were also successfully helped to move away from alcohol abuse and drug taking.
Page Last Updated: 17 December 2009