Welcome to Birmingham's Youth Service Birmingham Youth Service works to provide all young people, aged from 11 to 25 years in Birmingham, with a range of enjoyable opportunities, challenging experiences and effective support that will enhance their personal, social and educative development and sense of identity during the transition to adulthood. The strength of the Youth Service lies in the relationship between its staff and the young people they work with, developed over time and which progress in accordance with the needs of those young people. The values and principles that lie at the heart of effective youth work shape these relationships. These principles are: To Educate providing a range of opportunities enabling young people to gain knowledge and information, learn new skills and make informed choices about their lives. To Participate encouraging young people to play an active role in the development of their own local, and wider, community and influence decision-making at all levels. To Empower developing opportunities whereby young people can take responsibility and control and make decisions in a positive and constructive environment. To Enjoy enabling young people to learn in an attractive, safe, challenging, exciting and creative environment. To Promote Equality of Opportunity to influence attitude and develop a physical environment where all young people will feel safe and comfortable. A place where all forms of opression and discrimination will be challenged and diversity will be valued and celebrated.