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Artie
Sessional Youth Worker

by Team Members
The Team / Artie
Youth Unity Team • Sixth Form Student

Artie.

Artie is a sixth form student who loves being part of Youth Unity. A big fan of all sports, he brings energy and enthusiasm to every session and helps make sure everyone feels involved.

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Artie, sixth form student and member of the Youth Unity team
Game on

Enthusiasm is contagious, and Artie has plenty to share.

01

Loving every minute

Artie is a sixth form student who really enjoys working with Youth Unity. He is always keen to get stuck in, whether that means helping set up a session, joining in with activities or chatting with the young people who come along.

Being close in age to many of the young people we support means Artie understands what they’re going through, and they find him easy to talk to.

02

All sports, all in

If there’s a ball, a bat or a game going on, Artie wants to be part of it. He loves all kinds of sport and uses that passion to get others involved, encouraging young people to give things a go, have fun and work as a team.

For Artie, sport is about more than winning. It’s about building confidence, making friends and feeling part of something.

Bringing the energy, every single session.
03

Enthusiasm that’s catching

Artie’s enthusiasm is one of his biggest strengths. His positive attitude lifts the mood in any room and helps young people feel welcome and included from the moment they arrive.

Balancing sixth form with his time at Youth Unity, Artie shows young people what it looks like to work hard, stay active and give something back to your community.

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Thomas Anderson
Mentor

by Team MembersThomas Anderson
The Team / Thomas Anderson
Senior Serious Youth Violence Mentor

Thomas
Anderson.

Thomas mentors young people affected by serious youth violence, bringing a boxing coach’s discipline and a DJ’s ear for what moves people.

Thomas Anderson, Senior Serious Youth Violence Mentor at Youth Unity
25+ years

A wealth of experience, brought to every conversation with a young person.

01

Someone in their corner

Thomas is the Senior Serious Youth Violence Mentor at Youth Unity CIC, with a wealth of experience spanning more than 25 years. He works alongside young people who are caught up in violence or at risk of being drawn into it, and he stays alongside them for as long as it takes.

Mentoring at this level depends on trust, and trust is slow to earn. Thomas earns it by turning up when he says he will, listening before he speaks, and being straight with young people about where their choices lead. As the senior mentor on the team, he also sets the standard for how that work is done.

02

In the ring

Thomas is a boxing coach, and the gym is one of the best mentoring rooms he has. Boxing asks for discipline, self-control and respect for the person in front of you. It gives anger and energy somewhere safe to go, and it shows a young person, round by round, that effort gets results.

Some of the most honest conversations happen between rounds on the pads. A young person who would never sit across a desk and talk will often open up with gloves on.

Meeting young people where they are.
03

Behind the decks

Thomas also knows his way around a set of decks. He DJs and mixes music, and he uses that skill the same way he uses boxing: as common ground. Music is already a huge part of most young people’s lives, so it is a natural place to start a conversation.

Learning to mix takes patience, timing and a good ear. It also gives young people a creative outlet and something they can be proud of, which matters a great deal to someone who has mostly been told what they are getting wrong.

04

Why it works

Put the three together and you get a mentor who can reach young people in more than one way. Some connect through sport, some through music, and some just need a steady adult who will not give up on them. Thomas offers all three, backed by 25 years of knowing what helps.

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Jade
Trauma Informed Mentor

by Jade Gray-ChristieTeam Members
The Team / Jade
Trauma-Informed Mentor

Jade.

Jade is a trauma-informed mentor who builds trust with young people and helps them overcome barriers, bringing over a decade of experience across schools, community programmes and specialist support services. She leads Youth Unity’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) action plan.

Jade, Trauma-Informed Mentor at Youth Unity, wearing a navy Youth Unity top
In your corner

Every young person deserves someone who believes in them.

01

Trust comes first

Jade is a dedicated and empathetic youth and community worker with extensive experience supporting young people and vulnerable adults. She has worked in schools, youth clubs, community programmes and police custody suites, and wherever she is, she starts the same way: by listening and building rapport. That trust is what makes positive change possible.

02

Experience that runs deep

Jade holds a BA (Hons) in Youth & Community Work from the University of Greenwich, where her dissertation explored how short-term mentoring can fail young Black women in school settings. She has carried that learning into her work ever since: mentoring at-risk young people with Charlton Athletic Community Trust, supporting students with special educational needs, and providing specialist support to young women and girls affected by county lines exploitation.

That experience is why Jade leads our Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) action plan, shaping how Youth Unity keeps young women and girls safe, recognises the signs of harm and makes sure they get the right support.

Alongside this, she supports families facing complex challenges and volunteers as an Appropriate Adult, making sure young people in police custody have their rights and wellbeing protected.

Someone in your corner, whatever you’re facing.
03

Safe, supported, heard

Jade is trained in safeguarding, Youth Mental Health First Aid and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and brings a trauma-informed approach to everything she does. She works closely with schools, families and other services so that young people get joined-up support, not a revolving door.

She has a creative side too. Jade trained in acting and has facilitated poetry sessions, and she knows that creativity can give young people a voice when the words are hard to find.

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