Youth service exhibition 'brought back memories'

Training and Development Officer, Lisa Mansell, said Jersey Youth Service had been "a massive part" of her life

Jersey Youth Service (JYS) has marked its 80th anniversary with a special exhibition showcasing its history.

It opened on Monday at the Old Magistrates' Court and is on offer to the public between 11:00 - 14:00 GMT until Friday.

People are also being invited to bring along items such as photographs connected to their time with JYS which can be added to the exhibition.

Lisa Mansell, a Training and Development Officer at JYS, who first started attending the service when she was eight, said: "It's brought back so many memories."

Dozens of people attended the launch of the exhibition

Ms Mansell helped put together the exhibition, which involved a lot of research into the service's eight decades of work in the island.

She said the youth service had been "a massive part" of her life and that organising the exhibition had been "such a huge job, but so rewarding".

"We do actually engage with about 35% of our core age group, aged 12 to 18. I think that really speaks volumes because it shows young people do want to engage with us," Ms Mansell added.

The exhibition is part of National Youth Work Week, which celebrates the impact of youth work across the UK.

Bradley Cooper said JYS had helped people connect in their communities

Bradley Cooper, principle youth officer at JYS, gave a speech at the opening of the exhibition and called the service "really inspirational".

He added: "It gave me another pathway to my career as I attended a youth club from a very young age.

"People have connected in their communities, they feel safe and we're tailoring youth work practises to support their needs and their aspirations."

Several other events have also been held to mark the 80th anniversary, including an awards presentation.