Abdullah Alrawas

EYST Wales (Ethnic Minorities and Youth Support Team) supports young people, families and communities from ethnic minority backgrounds across Wales. We offer one-to-one support, youth sessions, advocacy and help with education, wellbeing and opportunities. What makes us different is trust. Many of our team share the backgrounds and languages of the people we support, so young people feel understood from day one. In Wrexham, we work closely with schools, councils and community groups to make sure no young person falls through the gaps.

I’m part of EYST Wales, a team working right across Wales, from Swansea to Wrexham, to support young people, families and communities from ethnic minority backgrounds. Our team brings together youth workers, caseworkers, project leads and volunteers, many of whom share the cultures and languages of the people we support. That shared experience builds trust quickly, and it’s at the heart of everything we do. Together we run youth sessions, one-to-one support, advocacy and wellbeing projects, and we work with schools, councils and community partners to make sure no young person falls through the gaps. I’m proud to represent the North Wales side of that work from our Wrexham base.

My story starts in Syria. Coming to Wales meant starting over: a new language, new school, new everything. I know what it feels like to be the young person who doesn’t quite fit yet, and that’s exactly why I do this work. I joined EYST Wales to give young people the support I’d have valued. Since then I’ve worked one-to-one with young people, produced a commissioned research on access to youth provision in North Powys, and in 2025 I was a finalist in the Welsh Government Youth Work Excellence Awards. Not everything has gone smoothly, and I’ve had setbacks that tested me. But each one taught me to keep going, adapt and lead by example. I want young people to see that you can serve your community and still chase something big.