Peter Twigg
My Story:
I came to Devon in 1990 having worked for a YMCA in Grimsby & Cleethorpes to work for Devon Youth Service based at a large youth & Community centre in Barton Torquay. I worked for full time DYS and Torbay Youth Service (after Torbay became a Unitary Authority) until 2003 and then half time with Torbay until 2008, when I started full time with the Teenbridge Project.
My roles in DYS & TYS changed on a regular basis for two years. I was Centre Manager & Senior Youth Worker at the Acorn Centre Torquay, then my role changed and I had an area brief for Torquay to identify gaps in provision, seek out funding and partners and develop work in the areas where there was none. I established many youth clubs and holiday clubs in this period. The Youth Service then became school based in Torquay Community College where part of my role was to work with young people at risk of exclusion and develop an ‘alternative curriculum’ with them around ASDAN Youth Achievement Awards and develop some after school provision that excited and interested the pupils.
When the opportunity arose for me to go half time with TYS & Half time with Teenbridge Project my role was concerned with establishing a Quality Assurance system in place for the Youth Service, and at one time it was about developing a mobile provision to visit schools at lunchtimes and communities in the evenings giving young people things to do and a place to go.
I was raised in a Christian home and attended a Methodist church until I moved away to College. It was when I was about 13 that I was challenged about what Christianity & Jesus meant to me personally and I decided to ‘give my life to Jesus’, but it was only when I was about 16 that I realised I had to start matching my actions with what I claimed – ‘walking the talk’ and my life changed. I spent a year at Bible college where God and Jesus became more real to me & I started to understand what it meant to be a Christian and to do Christian outreach in communities and schools. It was during this year I started exploring becoming a Youth Worker. After completing a B.Ed (Hons) in Youth and Community Studies and R.E. I gained my first youth work post at a YMCA in Grimsby & Cleethorpes.
Family:
I married Su in Teignmouth in 1986 and we have two fantastic children Emily who is 16 and James 13. Our family is completed by ‘Willow’ a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel and ‘Monty’ a black & white cat.
Teenbridge Project
This came about as I had been thinking about some form of Christian youth project in Teignmouth for a few years and one summer the local paper was full of letters from holiday makers complaining about local youths ruining their holidays, skateboarding on the front, etc.It got me thinking why weren't’t the local council standing up for our young people (?) and why aren’t the churches saying/doing anything either(?) What would Jesus have said? done? Surely he would have been out with the young people, supporting them, making them feel wanted and part of this town.
And so the work began. I still see some of the first young people we met on our first night out on Streetreach. A lot of hot chocolates & soups have been drunk since those early days. Our programme has developed too in all sorts of unexpected ways and staffing has increased too.
I am constantly amazed at what God has done over the past few years and look forward to what He will do I the future.
