Worth Unlimited is a Christian Youthwork agency.

We are creative, innovative and flexible youthworkers offering personal support and experiential learning opportunities through our network of grassroots branches and partners across the United Kingdom who relate to a small core infrastructure which develops new initiatives and provides professional support services to the frontline teams.

We are entirely committed to developing a learning community within the Christian youth work community that operates at the edges of our society and we are working together to seek to continuously improve our understanding and approaches to the needs of young people.

Underpinning our story as an organization is our belief that we are caught up in the undercurrent of Gods ongoing story of engagement with all of humanity. Three biblical themes seem to provide useful starting points in understanding how we see ourselves fitting into this story – the incarnational approach, the arrival of the Kingdom of God and the good news of Shalom.

Jesus’ example is central, that as God’s son he came to the earth meeting and engaging with people where they were at, often crossing social barriers to do so. He set the standard for an emphasis on intentionally meeting young people where they are at physically and emotionally and this is what Worth Unlimited teams seek to continue to do.

In an era of domination by an external authority, Jesus announced that he had come first and foremost to declare a new kingdom of God being at hand with an agenda “to loose the chains of injustice, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke.” The significance is in the “here and now”. More than just an expression of an individual relationship with God, the Kingdom expresses a dream of God for rediscovery of his intention for the whole world. As followers of Jesus we are inspired to participate in God’s dream, and express his desire to reconnect humanity to his original purposes here, now and beyond.

At the heart of this kingdom is the wonderful offer from God of Shalom. Much richer than simply peace from war, “Shalom” is a “kaleidoscopic vision of what life is like when lived in line with God’s agenda” It is the “equipping of a person so they can cope with life’s sufferings and sorrows whilst basking in the beauty and joy it brings. Shalom is about comprehensive well being and flourishing at every level or life” (S. Chalke The Lost Message of Jesus). Forgiveness, compassion, justice, vulnerability and enjoyment are all characteristics of Shalom often standing in sharp contrast to aggression, hatred, prejudice and injustice which appear to dominate our communities. There is a new way to live and it can be explored and lived now. Worth Unlimited teams seek to model this new way of life for young people and local communities to witness and consider applying to themselves. There is a challenge in what we do to those we work with and seek to support regarding the validity of the apparently dominant cultural trends and norms which it often ultimately erode and destroy.

So an ongoing story is being outworked and we have a role to play in continuing to announce the incoming shalom of the kingdom of God being at hand. In reconnecting to the heart of God we realize this good news needs to be taken to and experienced most of all where it is not being realized, likely to be places where people are experiencing exclusion, poverty, injustice or oppression and bring light to such dark places.

Worth Unlimited is part of The Worth Foundation, a company limited by guarantee, number 3451215 and a registered charity, number 1068782.

Further Information about Worth Unlimited
> Foundational Statements
> Shalom : Wholeness
> Young People's Stories
> What other agencies have said about Worth

“I used to work in Residential Child Care for Social Services. Every day I was looking after young people who had low self esteem and little confidence in their educational abilities. I realised that the Christian Community is a great resource able to demonstrate in a multitude of ways that young people have worth and potential no matter what their backgrounds and circumstances.

By building a link with Worth Unlimited, I was able to tap into a range of resources and practical support which helped me establish a bridge between the Church and its message of hope, and young people who would not necessarily enter a church building but did need to know that they had significance and value.

As a result of Worth Unlimited, the Christian community in Waltham Forest has made a difference in the lives of hundreds of marginalised young people in Waltham Forest in the past few years.”

Andrew Musgrave
Former Project Coordinator Worth Unlimited for Waltham Forest

"Too many young people are being left behind and left out in our society. The negative self image that those on the margins of our communities have about themselves are reinforced and amplified by the seeming success story of other youngsters around them. Worth Unlimited has a valuable contribution to make in changing this, helping young people to transform their view of themselves and enabling them to make a valued contribution to their wider world”

Dave Wiles – FYT CEO and Worth Unlimited board member

Clive Dudbridge - Chair
Oasis

Mark Watson - Vice Chair
Director
Trinamo

Kate Pearson - Company Secretary
Senior Project Manager
Anthony Collins Solicitors

Dr David Boule - Treasurer
Secretary
Micah Network

Dave Wiles
CEO – Frontier Youth Trust

Michael Eastman OBE
Former General Secretary
Frontier Youth Trust

Keith Raynor
Director
OK Club Kilburn

Derrick Beale
Finance Director
Reed Employment

Mark Hargreaves
Vicar
St. Peters, Noting Hill