Fond farewell to town youth
Skate ramp consultation, New Street, Daventry. Pictured is Katie Jones ( Youth & Development Worker )
A YOUTH worker who helped develop and expand Daventry’s Phoenix Centre was given a special send off.
Katie Jones has been the youth development officer at the Phoenix since 2007 but at the end of March she bid farewell to the youth centre in Ashby Road.
Users of the centre said goodbye with a special acoustic night held in her honour.
Katie was first employed at the Phoenix in 2007 after organising a series of live music events and workshops for teenagers funded by DDC’s Money4Youth scheme.
These pilot events became a weekly club for young DJs ‘Open Dex’, and monthly band nights which are still going strong.
Over the past five years Katie has been involved in numerous initiatives for young people in Daventry, including running weekly Indigo’ Youth Café drop-in sessions, an indoor skate park, Soundbox club nights, and she also helped to set up a boxing club and music studio at the centre.
She said: “I have so many good memories of my time at the Phoenix but think what I’ll remember most is the youth committee meetings. There’s no such thing as a dull meeting when young people are involved!
“A highlight for me is our annual PhoenixFEST music festival, young bands, acoustic artists and DJs need opportunities to play to their peers if they are to develop.
“The Phoenix has a rich history of youth gigs and of supporting young musicians; I consider myself privileged to be a part of that history.”
Katie has bought a narrowboat to live on which is currently moored in Reading, and plans to spend the next couple of months working on it and cruising the waterways before returning to the area to be near her family and to find another job.
She said: “I can’t imagine doing anything other than working with young people now, it’s been a real joy.”
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Weather for Daventry
Thursday 20 June 2013
Today
Thunderstorm
Temperature: 13 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
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Light showers
Temperature: 12 C to 19 C
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