Sector Spotlight: Brian Cromarty, Youth Development Worker

For our final Sector Spotlight of this summer, we speak to Brian Cromarty, who works at Voluntary Action Orkney as a Youth Development Worker. VAO provides support to the third sector in Orkney by acting as a voice and a central source of knowledge for the third sector, building the capacity of volunteer organisations and their ability to connect with the community.

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--Can you describe a typical day in your role as Youth Development Worker?
In a nutshell, my job is to help young folk get active in their community through volunteering.
 
In a bit more detail, this is done through promotion and recruitment (mostly in secondary schools) and helping find placements. Young folk can get involved with any voluntary, charitable or statutory organisation, either through individual placements, or one of the group projects run by VAO.
 
We also celebrate young folks’ achievements through the Saltire Awards for volunteering and by organising the Orkney Youth Awards in partnership with other members of the Orkney Youth Workers Forum.
 
--How did you end up in this role?
When I left school I got a driving job for a local delivery company. I would have happily spent the rest of my days playing about in peedie lorries – that job was great fun - but most everyone I knew was heading south and so after a year at that I set off to do a degree in Quantity Surveying at RGU. I very quickly discovered that wasn’t for me at all, so shifted after about 6 weeks to Aberdeen College and a media diploma. After completing the HND there I went on to Aberdeen Uni where I got an Honours Degree in English.  
 
Through the rest of my twenties I flitted between lots of things. I was a sound technician at Aberdeen University Union for a few years, I was a gardener for a while, both self employed and at a country house hotel and did some sound engineering. I also taught guitar privately for a long time.
 
I’ve always been self employed as a musician which in those days was a bit up and down, playing at ceilidhs and functions and hosting sessions. I ran a weekly open mic night and was in a Pogues tribute band for a while too!
 
I moved home around 2006 when my son was about to start school. I laboured for a few years with a building firm and continued to teach guitar privately. The job at VAO came up in 2008 initially as maternity cover. I knew from tutoring and running a few larger music projects for the council that I enjoyed working with young people and was delighted when they took me on. The post became permanent when they expanded the service close to the end of the maternity cover, and I’ve been at VAO ever since.
 
--What is the best thing about your job?
Variety.
 
I support activity groups in care homes, help young folk organise fundraising gigs and quizzes, put on larger events like the Orkney Youth Awards and YPI charities fairs. We run drop ins at schools and organise Orkney Youth Workers Forum.
 
I always have a few music projects on the go too, and having that range of different things going on keeps life interesting. It was brilliant to discover a second career path that alongside my music that I take so much satisfaction from. None of it feels too much like work!
 
--What is the worst thing about your job?
From a VAO point of view, there’s always more I could be doing than my part time hours allow, so it can be a challenge to manage my time and not take something on if I can’t make a good job of it.
 
--What skills do you need to undertake your role?
I would say that for any role where you want folk to come and speak to you, you need to be friendly and approachable. To build relationships with organisations and schools you must be also outgoing and positive. It’s important to maintain and build these networks too so I’m always making introductions.
 
--What qualifications do you have?
I have an Honours Degree in English and an HND in Communications. I once held a forklift licence too but I imagine that has expired.
 
--Would you recommend this job to young people, if so why?
Yes! Volunteering is vital to our community – look through the pages of the paper and listen to the daily diary on the radio; the majority of what’s on is run by folk who give their own time freely. To play a part in bringing on new generations of volunteers is really satisfying.

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