Mr Nigel Godfrey

I joined UEL in November 2009. I was recruited to teach on the youth and community work programme, reflecting over 20 years of youth work experience in East London. My youth work career began in 1986, when I started teaching water sports in London’s Docklands and volunteering as a part-time youth worker in Brick Lane. For 15 years, I then worked for Oxford House Youth Club in Bethnal Green, before managing the detached team for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in 2000. From 2000-2009, I worked as a youth service manager for the London Borough of Redbridge. My first 3 years with Redbridge were spent co-managing the borough’s detached / mobile unit team, before moving on to youth involvement and voluntary sector capacity building. My role included overseeing the Youth Opportunities Fund. Towards the end of my time with Redbridge I advanced to Youth Officer, and my remit expanded to include; Information and Advice, disability work, child protection, quality assurance, workforce development and Extended Schools. In 2003, I successfully completed an MA in Applied Anthropology and Youth & Community work from Goldsmiths, University of London. In 1996, I graduated in Leisure and Tourism management from the University of North London and in 2000, I gained a certificate in Counselling from Waltham Forest College.

Youth work continues to be my passion. I believe in the importance of keeping informal education both accessible and fun. I remain convinced in particular of the power of residential and outdoor experiences and currently this is my research interest.

Youth Participation is a particular speciality of mine. For example, in 2006 I helped the Methodist Church develop a new £4 million youth participation strategy. Other consultancy roles I have fulfilled previously, include evaluating Tower Hamlets' Sure Start programme and guiding South Hertfordshire’s multi-agency youth provision action plan.