Thursday 28th September saw a celebration to mark 60 years of Gibraltar’s Youth Service, which started to offer services to Gibraltar’s young people in 1963.

A multitude of young people have enjoyed and benefited from the services provided through the decades, with the 80s and 90s being particularly memorable for Youth exchange programmes to different European countries.

Since the year 2000 the Service has had a complement of full-time staff members who are JNC qualified (licensed in Youth Work) or in trainee positions working towards the qualification.

The occasion was attended by numerous people whom have represented the Service, with all Principal Youth Workers throughout the years (Elio Victor, who was unable to attend, Robert Balban, Jimmy Felices and current Principal, Mark Zammit) presented with commemorative gifts by way of a token of appreciation for their and their team’s collective contributions.

The event was also attended and poignant for outgoing Minister for Youth, the Honourable Steven Linares, whom has served as Minister for Youth for 12 years from 2011 to 2023 and overseen the Service’s most recent developments and evolution.

Some of the most beautiful moments of the event were the testimonies from young people who are current Service users. They spoke openly, honestly and meaningfully about what the Youth Service means to them, and is testament to its continuing importance and value.

The Gibraltar Youth Service would like to publicly thank all past and current Service users, all Ministers, Government Head of Departments and administration teams at the various Ministries that have enjoyed responsibility over it, as well as all other departments and NGOs who are invested in young people, and of course to all full-time Youth workers, support staff, volunteers and others whom have served Gibraltar’s young people over the last 60 years.

ENDS