ECYC is the organisation that brings together youth and youth club organisations in a European context – enabling them to lobby on behalf of young people and youth work within the EU. The Confederation also organises training events and seminars for young people and youth workers across the continent.
ECYC is supported by both the Council of Europe (through the European Youth Foundation) and the European Commission (through the Youth in Action Programme). UK Youth is a founder member of the organisation.
Change of setting – and staff
ECYC recently announced that it will be moving into its own office base at the beginning of 2013. Previously placed in the offices of Formaat, the Flemish Federation of Youth Clubs, ECYC will have their own space in the Brussels offices of another member organisation, the Fédération des Centres de Jeunes en Milieu Populaire (FCJMP).
Chelsea Renehan, Vice President of ECYC and formerly a member of UK Youth Voice is excited by the move: “This move will put ECYC in the heart of the action! Being in Brussels puts us right in the centre of European affairs, which gives us the potential of achieving a higher profile for youth work in Europe.”
At the same time, ECYC has announced that they will be looking for new staff. Both the current Secretary General and Secretary – the staff responsible for the day-to-day running of the Confederation – will be leaving their posts before the move to Brussels.
Priorities for the future
Chelsea comments: "Obviously we need to make back up plans given the financial climate youth work faces across Europe, but in terms of practice we are moving forward. We have a brand new Board and all of us have passionate and enthusiastic ideas for the future of ECYC during our term.
“We are now recruiting for the new Secretary General and Project Manager posts; our current Secretary General has taken up an amazing opportunity as a journalist (her chosen career). However, we hope she is going to stay involved in ECYC as a volunteer!
“We are at an exciting time – we will have a new staff team, a new bureau and a brand new office – which will be the first time we have had our own office. With hard work and passion we can expect see some very good work come from ECYC."
Full information on the posts is available from the ECYC website.
