Ash Lewis awarded the Carl John Memorial Prize for Students in Youth and Community
Ash Lewis, will graduate today with a BA Youth Work and Social Education with Foundation Year (ETS) Endorsed during the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD)’s Carmarthen campus Graduation Ceremonies.
Ash has also been awarded the prestigious Carl John Memorial Prize for Studies in Youth and Community Work for the dedication and commitment they have shown to their studies and their Youth Work practice. They won the award jointly with fellow student Holly Gooch. The award is named after Carl John a former lecturer of Youth Work on the Carmarthen campus who would have been incredibly proud of Ash’s achievements and development during their time on the degree, in particular their unwavering dedication to ensuring that all young people are represented, are listened to, and are empowered to stand up and have their voiced heard.
Ash, who is from Carmarthen, but originally from Boncath, says:
“I fell into youth work when I started an LGBTQ+ Youth group in Carmarthen and decided to get a qualification in the field as I fell in love with youth work.
“I applied for the Youth Work course with the foundation year as I had no A-Levels and was lucky enough to be accepted. The course has challenged me in so many ways but it has also allowed me to be myself. As a non-binary person, the support I have received from the university, the lecturers and students, has been great and I would recommend UWTSD to other friends who are transgender as I have always been treated with respect.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the course and being able to explore the work through the lens of LGBTQ+ young people has really allowed me to thrive and in the future I would love to start up more youth groups for under-represented communities. The course has given me so many tools and I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to study in Carmarthen”.
The programme which is offered on a full and part-time basis offers a professional qualification for students, and through a social science lens, it explores current and contemporary challenges that are faced by young people.
Dr Nichola Welton, Academic Director says: “Often known as the ‘best kept secret’, youth work is a powerful approach to supporting young people to build resilience and resourcefulness, and to achieve their full potential. Youth work is based on developing good, positive relationships with young people, and acts as the foundation for supporting young people through a range of issues. This is why the youth work degree is often viewed by other professions as a highly desirable qualification”.
Angharad Lewis, Programme Manager says: “It has been a privilege to witness Ash’s progression and journey over the last 4 years. Not only has Ash made a significant impact on the lives of young people in the South-West Wales region and beyond, they have also mentored a number of other Youth Work students who have been on placement at Carmarthen Youth Project – the youth project where Ash gained full-time employment during their time on the degree programme. In 2022, when a regional Youth Homelessness Conference was held at UWTSD, an opportunity was presented to Ash to deliver a workshop, and Ash planned and facilitated a workshop focussing on the voices of LGBTQ+ young people in the context of youth homelessness, based on their own Youth Work practice, with the Chair of Welsh Government’s Youth Work Strategy Implementation Board being one of the workshop participants. As a fluent Welsh speaker, Ash also made the most of the Welsh medium opportunities and support available within the Youth Work programme team and within wider University services, and studied some modules through the medium of Welsh at Level 4. Ash is an excellent Youth Worker – a passionate advocate for young people and their rights – and we look forward to seeing what the future holds for Ash”.
Further Information
Eleri Beynon
Head of Corporate Communications and PR
Corporate Communications and PR
Email: eleri.beynon@uwtsd.ac.uk
Phone: 07968 249335