Staff

Chris Manners (Director)

Chris Manners - Director

Developing χcellence in Youth Ltd is about young people achieving at whatever level they are at, in whatever it is that they choose to do. We find it beneficial to young people that if they are to achieve then it helps if we the staff delivering have gone through that developmental process and are experienced in terms of what we have achieved or are trying to assist young people in achieving. Below you will find background information into my personal qualifications, achievements, and experience as a Youth Achievement Coach:

Chris Manners is a highly experienced professional Youth worker whose qualifications include:

• Batchelor of Science with Honours (Open)
• Diploma Higher Education Youth & Community work
• Diploma in Sports Psychology
• Professional Diploma in Management
• Professional Diploma in Supervision
• Certificate in Supervisory Management Studies (MISM).
• Certificate in Life Coaching.

He has practiced Youth Development work for ten years and during that time has worked with young people in Leeds & throughout West Yorkshire, Liverpool, Manchester & Glasgow on various development projects. He has also delivered youth work programmes and activities to young people from as far a field as Spain, Germany, France, Russia, Latvia, Ireland, Denmark and Iceland.

He has given a 5 minute television interview about the benefits and practicalities of youth work for GMTV'S 'Get up and Give' campaign in aid of raising money and awareness, as well as working with Mayors, MPs, councillors & a few young people who have starred in various television programmes and films, Harry Potter & Emmerdale.

Some of the key success Chris has had with young people were a one year citywide consultation with Leeds schools and youth groups as to the proposed development of the residential centre Herd Farm (1999) and

the 'ID Tex art project' - The coordination of a six month collaboration with Leeds City Art Gallery to recruit professional artists to work with young people from four youth centres across Leeds, to a young person's agenda designing pieces of art that would be displayed Herd farm. These pieces were subsequently displayed in Leeds City Central Art Gallery for a period of 10 weeks during the spring of 2000, and currently decorate Herd Farm.

'Millenium Arch' - Wetherby Youth centre (ID Tex art project)

Background Information

Chris' specialty is working with some of the cities most disadvantaged young people and researching and designing interventions that will assist in their personal development. He prides himself on assisting these young people almost on a daily basis to make the small changes relevant to improve their own lives through the skilled use of anything that comes to hand, often a small puzzle, a personal development course or a high rope climbing frame.

Formerly a soldier, Chris enjoyed high success and achievement not only for himself (International gold medal winner, 1989, Army athletics silver medallist, 1993). But also was an award winning trainer: 3 award winning teams & 7 individual award winners (1993-1995).

Chris is married with 3 children and so has first hand practical & personal experience of working with adolescents. He is a keen outdoor enthusiast and can regularly be seen camping or walking the moors map and compass in hand.