News

Meet The New Additions to the CY Team

By 17th July 2019 No Comments

The first half of 2019 has seen a few new additions to the CY team. We’ve created 2 new posts and recruited 2 young people as Music Trainees to help us continue to provide a supportive and nurturing environment for children and young people. A huge welcome to the team, we are delighted to have you on board! Find out a bit more about them below…

 

Andrew Porteous, Wellbeing Worker (8-12 year olds)

Hi! My name is Andy and I’m the new Well-Being worker for children and young people aged between 8-12. I’m really excited to start working with Canongate Youth as I have worked in the third sector for a few years now and everyone I have met has always had good things to say about CY.

On my first day everyone was really nice and friendly and the staff were all smiles and  I could see they are working really hard to help children and young people – which is great!

I have had quite a varied experience since leaving school. I qualified as an electrician at 19 and decided to do a bit of travelling. I was working in a shipyard in Rotterdam at 24 and wanted to do something different with my life. I quite fancied primary teaching and went back to college to gain some qualifications. After a couple of years at college I studied Ancient History at Edinburgh and finished my Masters in 2014. I went to work in schools to gain some experience, but found lots of young people really struggling with their mental health and well-being. I really had no clue about the voluntary sector and wasn’t sure if I’d fit in or if I would be any good in this kind of job. After several weeks researching I decided to give it a go and have been working for different charities for a few years now. I have gained valuable experience in things I would never had thought of a few years previous. This is so far removed from the days working on building sites and shipyards, but I’m loving every minute of it.

I feel I have made a positive change in my life and want to help nurture children and young people by empowering them with knowledge and new skills so they can make positive choices in theirs.

 

Monica Sutcliffe – Fundraising and Development Officer

I am very excited to be a part of the team here at CY and really looking forward to playing my part in the development of this fantastic organisation.  It’s important to me that young people feel supported and safe as they navigate life, no matter what their background is, and that helps me come up with ideas for finding financial backing from Trusts and Foundations and businesses.

My background in development has included setting up education programmes for primary school children, helping keep kids safe in the world of tech, and providing safe digital communication platforms to schools and nurseries, parents and carers.

 

Kadie Tarawally & Sandi Pentland- Youth Music Trainees 

Hi! My name is Kadie. I am one of the Music Café’s newest Music Trainees. I am loving being part of Canongate Youth’s team. Everyone is so friendly and has made me feel very welcome here. Coming from a very musical background, it is great fun to be here every Friday afternoon. I am learning to use my own musical skills, pass on my knowledge to the young people and support them in their own musical journeys. It’s been so lovely watching them grow in confidence.

Hi! My name is Sandi and I am one of the Music Trainees in Music Cafe. Recently, I discovered that youth work is the career path I’d like to take. I think working at CY was the catalyst for this, as everyone is so supportive and encouraging. They really helped me develop my skills working with young people, and I’ve learned so much. As a rapper, I’ve spent some time working with young people on lyricism, and it’s been a huge boost to my confidence helping them to create their own songs. The smiles that you can help put on their faces is the most rewarding thing I’ve experienced. My team are really lovely and supportive, and I don’t think I could’ve felt more welcomed!