AN INTERNATIONAL youth project which gives Monmouthshire young people the opportunity to learn about foreign cultures, share their own heritage and socialise with volunteers from other countries has won a prestigious Youth Work Wales Excellence Award.

The International Youth Project in Abergavenny run by Monmouthshire Youth Service (MYS) has been presented with the all-Wales award for 'Outstanding Specialist Project.'

The project provides opportunities for overseas youth work volunteers to live in Monmouthshire and work with young people, sharing their culture, traditions and language through workshops, activities and school-based learning.

Hannie Jones from the MYS, who heads up the programme said, "We want young people in Monmouthshire to gain a better understanding of the world and of the vast array of cultures, customs and languages that exist within it. Encouraging young people to share their own Welsh culture with people from other nations can help foster an appreciation for cultural differences which might inspire our young people to explore the wider world on their own."

After renovating a house in Abergavenny to accommodate up to eight youth work volunteers, MYS selected two volunteers, one from Belgium and one from Lichtenstein from over 170 applicants.

Through a series of workshops on culture, language tutoring sessions, and environmental projects, the two international volunteers have encouraged nearly 400 young people to consider the world beyond their own country..

The two volunteers have also set up a number of new services for young people, including a face-to-face counselling project with a counselling team to help support young people who have lost a parent.

Three new volunteers from Europe are due to arrive at the end of March and MYS plans to expand the number of volunteers over the next twelve months.

Hannie said, "Winning an award means a lot to the entire team who have worked on the project, from those who helped prepare the facilities to enable the exchange to take place, to our international volunteers who have made the programme such a success. We hope the project will continue to grow, enabling young people in Monmouthshire to benefit from the sharing of ideas and cultures."

Managed by the Welsh Assembly Government, local authorities across Wales and the voluntary Youth Service, the awards celebrate and highlight innovative and inspiring projects and individuals whose work is making a major positive difference to the lives of young people. The awards also illustrate the impact that young people can make on their local communities.

Deputy Minister for Children, Huw Lewis congratulated the Abergavenny team and other winners. He said, "There are approximately 20,000 youth workers in Wales, whose endeavours benefit more than 300,000 young people by providing recreational, social and non-formal educational opportunities. Youth work plays a massive role in the wellbeing of Wales and encourages young people to influence and shape the world around them."