Andi Kewley

Andi has been at the project the longest of any of the staff, since 2006. For a long time, Andi was the senior youth worker at Patchwork under Michael Bell who was project manager. Her role involved managing staff and directing the youth provision. Excellent at 1 to 1 work most in Benwell have fond memories of Andi being the one who would ‘sort their life out’ through supporting into employment, housing, driving license, saving account, benefits, mental health, drug and alcohol addiction, DofE, and whatever else the community required. All this whilst running regular evening sessions where young people could test and develop their personalities within different group settings, through relationships she had built.

Before Andi came to Patchwork, she had experience of many different fields but once she moved to the northeast she began work and study in Youth work. Andi completed her BAHons Informal Education, with YMCA George Williams College, and then an MA in Community and Youth development at Durham University in 2017.

With her years of experience and educated background it made perfect sense for Andi to step into the management role in 2021 after Michaels sudden death.

Now in her new role for 4 years Andi has taken to the management side with strength and commitment. As manager, Andi balances the funding and background running of the organisation with her natural ability of helping people. Andi thrives seeing people succeed, her personality is very much straight forward but under the surface is a desire for the people in Benwell to get the praise and life they deserve. For people to take power and uplift the area is something Andi dedicates her work to.