Bowlee Park Housing Junior Wardens take national stage

Junior Warden Mentors (back row l-r), Sara Tasker, Thomas Shepherdson, Junior warden TJ Wilson, Mentors Nail Ward & Danielle Young, (front row l-r)Kylie Clayton, Charlotte Doran, Leah and Danielle Goodall Cook, with Colin Whiteley Community Warden Supervisor.

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Bowlee Park Housing’s Junior Wardens impressed the audience at The Riverside Group’s tenants and residents national conference in Liverpool with their success stories from Langley.

Nine junior wardens and their teenage mentors gave presentations, encouraged by Colin Whiteley, community warden supervisor, at a specialist workshop about involving young people in their communities.

The warden scheme is the only one of its kind in the UK and the young people were invited to share their experiences on a national stage by The Riverside Group’s tenants and residents federation.

They explained the value of training, learning about environmental issues and inter-generational volunteer work gained as part of Bowlee Park Housing’s junior warden scheme.

Opening the floor to tenants, residents and staff from as far afield as Newcastle, Dartford and Hull, the young champions answered questions about bullying, respect and alcohol awareness. They also recited poems from local book ‘The Folk on the Hill’, giving a theatrical eye-opener into life in Langley.

12-year old junior warden Danielle Goodall Cook said: “We were really nervous before presenting the workshop, but when it actually started everyone was very friendly and I really enjoyed it!”

Colin Whiteley, community warden supervisor enthused: “I was so proud of the junior wardens, standing up in front of a large audience. They spoke really clearly about their experiences of being a young person in Langley and were a real credit to Bowlee Park Housing.”

“The feedback from delegates was very positive and it’s given the young people confidence to speak publicly again.”

Pat Habishaw, who won Bowlee Park Housing’s first ever Tenant Champion award, was also honoured by The Riverside Group for her dedication to improving life for her neighbours.

Just in case their teamworking qualities weren’t proven enough, the junior wardens also outstripped all the other delegates by winning the conference’s teambuilding general knowledge quiz.