Who Am I?
Hi! I'm Angie McCormack and I work for Rochdale Youth Service as part of Rochdale Borough Council and am on the Youth Voice team, working mostly with Rochdale Borough Children's Council and Youth Cabinet locally, regionally and nationally. Everything I do is led by young people, for young people - I am just here to support them in having their voices heard and help them see things from different perspectives. The young people I work with also participate in interview panels, young inspectors, the Youth Opportunity Fund panel, events and campaigns to help improve the lives of their peers. I love nature and the outdoors, I can be quite resilient and I like to put smiles on other people's faces - very much a people person!
So, what got me into youth work?
I have always wanted to work with young people. When I was 17, I was predicted good A-Levels and my plan in life was to go to Lancaster University and become a geography teacher. That quickly changed when I developed epilepsy and my life changed significantly with stopping driving, social life, changing my A-level results and being told I had around 10 years left to live. What frustrated me the most was how differently people saw and treated me simply because I was given the label of being disabled. However, I wasn't giving up and instead started to volunteer. Aged 19, I did a gap year with YFC (Youth For Christ) doing youth work in Dudley, after which I volunteered in the Methodist Church Circuit across Rochdale and the Pennines. When I was almost 21, I became very fortunate and had surgery which literally saved my life and made me seizure free. Going through this experience as a teenager made me want to work with young people even more, help those who need it, listen to those going through struggles in life with circumstances they have no control over and help improve lives and services for young people. This led to me doing my BA Hons Degree in Youth and Community Work and Applied Theology at Oxford Brookes University and after graduating 14 years ago, I got a job with Rochdale Youth Service, firstly as a detached youth worker in Heywood and Middleton, then an area worker in Spotland, Falinge and Syke and now focusing on youth voice. I am still thoroughly loving my job and those I work with, especially when you see over the years what positive difference it makes to the lives of young people!
What else do I do?
Outside work, I loved nature and being outdoors and have numerous hobbies! My favourite is fell walking and me, my husband and our Patterdale Terrier, Basil, are currently bagging the Wainwright mountains in the Lake District - 109 done so far, only another 105 to go! I have 2 beautiful sons, enjoy playing piano, reading, writing and am a huge Leeds fan - great to have us back in the Premier League!
If you would like to get involved in the children's council, youth cabinet, apply to be the next Member of UK Youth Parliament (MYP) or have any other questions, you are welcome to contact me at any time at angela.mccormack@rochdale.gov.uk or phone me on 01706 924296/07527 385 759.