Young people from across Edinburgh have been announced as finalists in this year’s Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards in recognition of their incredible achievements.
Jordan Stewart and Amaranta Laing, both from the capital, have been nominated in the Arts category for their work in creating Fusion – an organisation which aims to amplify the voices of young people through the power of music.
By partnering with Children 1st, Jordan and Amaranta have helped 10-year-old Sophie to produce ‘Sophie’s Song. Sophie created the track in the hope of influencing the justice system for victims and witnesses of crime.
26-year-old Rhys Gilchrist joins Jordan and Amaranta in the Arts category.
The talented musician regularly facilitates interactive sessions at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children to bring joy, fun and creativity to young people going through difficult times. Rhys also recently organised an orchestra visit to offer patients a distraction and hosts a song writing group to support those undergoing treatment in writing and producing their own music.
Fergus Crawley, 25, has been nominated in the Wellbeing category for his work in encouraging young people to open up about their mental health struggles.
Fergus, who works as a personal trainer, has been fundraising since 2018 to raise money for a host of men’s mental health charities, including going up and down Ben Nevis for 11 consecutive days, squatting 125,000 kg in 24 hours, and embarking on a 94-mile run.
His efforts have seen him raise a total of £100,000 in just four years, which Fergus hopes will go a long way to helping to break the stereotypes surrounding men’s mental health so that less people suffer in silence.
21-year-old Connor Muir has been nominated in the Volunteering category.
Connor, who lives in Leith, has been dedicated to making a difference to his local community for years, having volunteered with the Citadel Youth Centre since he was just 16. Connor helped to set up the centre’s intergenerational café, New Spin and often runs errands for a lot of the older members.
Throughout lockdown, Connor volunteered to take supplies and meals to vulnerable families and young people and would often spend time with isolated people in the neighbourhood – offering them much-needed friendship during a lonely time.
Addie, Hannah and Jo, all from Edinburgh, have been nominated in the Equality and Diversity category for their work in setting up Whatever Next? – a multi-media platform that explores their experiences as Chinese adoptees, and adoptees in general.
Through a monthly podcast, the three discuss the varied experiences they have had as adoptees, and how it has impacted the different areas of their lives – covering areas like the ABCs of adoption, food, adoptive parents and dating as an adoptee.
In doing so, they aim to open up a conversation around adoption – busting myths and providing relatable narratives to other adoptees. The work of Whatever Next? has won acclaim and the chance to speak on bigger and bigger platforms – with the trio having appeared on BBC Radio Scotland, LBC, and in the Herald.
Their work also won them the Creative Edinburgh Student Award in 2021.
The finalists all impressed an esteemed panel of judges with their outstanding contributions to their communities. The Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards aims to recognise and inspire extraordinary young people from across the country who are making a real difference to the lives of others.
Now in its sixteenth year, the awards highlight the triumphs of young people in a range of categories – from sport and the environment to enterprise and volunteering – and shine a light on the invaluable contributions made by remarkable young people across Scotland.
The results will be announced on 27 April 2022 at a star-studded red-carpet awards ceremony hosted at Edinburgh’s International Conference Centre.
The winners will join a prestigious roll call of previous recipients including RuPaul’s Drag Race champion Lawrence Chaney and social media star Jamie Genevieve.
Charitable duo Jack Mullen and Alfie King were crowned 2021’s ‘Young Scots of the Year’ for their work raising donations and keeping community spirit alive during the pandemic.
Kirsten Urquhart, Chief Executive (Interim) at Young Scot, said: “The inspiring work of these remarkable young people is a testament to what the Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards are all about – recognising, championing and celebrating the achievements of Scotland’s young people.
“Congratulations to all of the 2022 finalists!”