Teesdale's new YMCA boss aims to build on recent success

IF world experience is a prerequisite to being chief executive of Teesdale YMCA, then the new man in the post is eminently qualified.
Don Irving took up the position on January 3 following the departure of Kevin Wake at the end of last year.
Mr Irving comes at a perfect time when the youth organisation has just secured a pot of Lottery cash that ensures its future for at least the next three years.
But the self-confessed fanatical Liverpool supporter, who has You’ll Never walk Alone as his mobile ring tone, is not one to maintain the status quo.
He says: “We’ll be building on the success of Kevin and taking it to the next level.”
The 56-year-old comes to Barnard Castle from North Tyneside YMCA and boasts almost a lifetime of youth work experience, having first decided to get into the profession after some seven years of globetrotting.
The wanderlust hit him soon after completing his O levels in Liverpool.
He explains: “At that time it was traditional for kids to get a good apprenticeship. After six weeks as a carpet fitter I decided this wasn’t for me. I decided to take some time out until I was 25.”
He was 17 at the time and found himself working as a leader at a youth camp in southern France. He went on to picking grapes in France where he met people from the world over.
“There were all these young, vibrant, people going to all these marvellous places,” he says.
Inspired, he decided to follow the “old hippy route from London to Kathmandu”, financing his way by taking a diverse number of jobs from acting as a porter in hotels, to packing melons and plucking olives.
In Egypt he was taught the game of backgammon which he has honed to the point that he is the current North East Backgammon Association second division champion.
His world travels came to an end at age 25.
“When I came back I decided I wanted to work with young people so I did a youth work degree in the Midlands,” he explained.
He went on to work in Southampton and was seconded to the Methodist Church to work with youth groups. After three years, he and wife Karen, who is also involved with youth work, moved to London and spent years working in the boroughs of Hackney, Newham and Bexley.
He was principal youth officer at Bexley before moving north to Newcastle as head of service.
The father of two went freelance when government funding cuts started to affect local council’s youth services. He explained that councils had to make tough choices and youth provision was an obvious target because it is not a statutory service.
He says: “In the last four years youth service has been decimated, absolutely cut to the bone. Youth service nationwide is on its way out.”
Later, he took up a position at YMCA North Tyneside before being offered the Teesdale post, in a town with which he was well acquainted as a tourist.
“Being given the opportunity to work in Barnard Castle, it was a no-brainer,” he adds. “It is unbelievably diverse in terms of the demographics of the whole place.”
While still getting used to the town and surrounding villages, Mr Irving has been inspired by what he has seen so far, particularly the drop-in sessions at the Barnard Castle office which take place four evenings a week for young people aged between 11 and 18. He described how at one session the teenagers were given £10 and asked to design a meal for 15 people. They returned from shopping with change to spare and prepared meatballs and spaghetti with soft drinks on the side.
The exercise, he said, is a way to teach simply life skills like preparing something healthy on a budget.
“It reassured me the YMCA is doing what it should be doing,” he added.
The chief executive says he is looking forward to the challenge of his new role and invites everyone to pop in and say hello, particularly those who enjoy a game of backgammon.