From the Vale to Texas: How the Youth Service Secured a Transformational Trip for Young People

09 March 2026

Twelve young people from the Vale of Glamorgan will be shortly boarding a plane to Texas for a three-week international exchange. Many of them will be travelling abroad for the very first time.

For some, it’s a milestone few would have imagined possible.

“Some didn’t even have passports and some had never travelled beyond Cardiff,” explains Youth Development Officer Hannah. 

“Now they’re going to Texas. That’s the power of youth work.”

The idea began as a simple conversation during a Duke of Edinburgh session. 

“The young people said, ‘It’d be amazing to go to a ranch in Texas.” recalls Annette, Senior Youth Engagement Worker. 

“We didn’t promise anything. We just said we’d try.”

Turning that idea into reality meant applying for funding, and luckily there was a funding route available through Taith - the Welsh Government’s international learning exchange programme. 

Taith supports projects that give young people in Wales opportunities to travel, learn and collaborate internationally, helping to build skills, confidence and cultural understanding.

“It was a huge application, and we were back and forth constantly,” says Annette. 

“At no point did we guarantee the young people this would happen.”

Then the email arrived.

Annette remembers the moment the confirmation came through: “I was in a meeting when I saw it. It just said ‘Congratulations’, and I actually ran out and screamed down the corridor. The feedback from them said that our application was outstanding.”

Hannah added that it was more than just a standard trip away.

Although the young people had been on residentials before – Hannah emphasised that it’s about bringing them together from across the Vale to explore a world beyond their horizons and recognise the possibilities open to them, whilst helping them develop their confidence and independence.

The trip itself will see four members of staff accompany 12 young people to America for three weeks, where they will have the opportunity to visit and do some volunteering on a real working ranch, a four day camp with 84 young people from across the state of Texas, a rodeo in San Antonio and a visit to the Houston Space Centre.

In preparation for the trip, both Annette and Hannah undertook a visit to Texas earlier this year to visit some of the sites on the itinerary as well as working out any logistical issues that naturally arise when planning a trip abroad with a group young people.

Annette was honest about the scale of such an undertaking: “It’s a lot of responsibility. Some of them have never flown. Airports can be overwhelming.”

She added: “But that’s part of the growth. You can’t just get back in the minibus and go home - they’re all the way on the other side of the world.”

For Annette, who has worked in Youth Service for nearly 22 years, the Texas exchange reflects how youth work has evolved.

“Youth work isn’t just youth clubs anymore. We work in schools, in the community, outdoors. The role has evolved massively.”

She has seen first-hand the life-changing impact of sustained support, including working with a young person with severe anxiety who had not left the house for years. 

Annette added: “Eventually, with a bit of support, she went on to college. Then she went to university. That’s why we do this job.”

Hannah, who began he career in 2007, says her role is about creating opportunities where none exist: “If something doesn’t exist, we’ll try and build it.

“This is life-changing, it shows them that their world is bigger than the Vale.”

Annette agrees: “They keep saying, ‘I can’t believe this is actually happening ‘ and honestly, neither can we.”