A record 250 voluntary groups from across the UK will today receive a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service for their work in their communities. Among them are the volunteers from the Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick and two Edinburgh organisations: Ageing Well volunteers (above) and LINKnet Mentoring, who provide advice and guidance to BME people. Continue reading Winners of the 2018 Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service announced
The Action Earth campaign, run by national charity Volunteering Matters, launched its 2018 grant giving scheme at Castlemilk Park in Glasgow last week. The campaign, which is funded by Scottish Natural Heritage, offers easy to access grants of up to £500 for environmental improvements across Scotland. Continue reading Action Earth: encouraging active and healthy communities
“I’ve been volunteering so long now, I might as well keep going until I drop!” – Doris Keir
On her 100th birthday, Edinburgh volunteer Doris Keir shows no signs of slowing down – and at a special birthday party thrown by the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, featuring an afternoon of tea, cake and gifts in the City Chambers, Doris revealed the secret to a long life is staying active, getting out and about and drinking six glasses of water a day. Continue reading 100 year old Doris proves you’re never too old to volunteer
Organisers of IRONKIDS Scotland, a series of three fun and family-focused running events for young people aged 3 to 14, will be providing opportunities for young volunteers between the ages of 8 and 26 to become part of the event planning and delivery teams that will co-produce a key part of Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018 celebrations and the newest events in the hugely popular IRONKIDS global series.
Continue reading Young volunteers wanted to run IRONKIDS Scotland events
Two of the capital’s youth workers have been nominated for Scotland’s National Youth Work Awards for their work in bringing local young people and the wider community together. Coral Riddell, Prince’s Trust, based in Juniper Green and Katie Horsburgh, who leads the 193b City of Edinburgh Guides, have both been shortlisted for Volunteer of the Year.
Coral (above, right) volunteers as a Mentor with The Prince’s Trust, supporting young people to overcome barriers, believe in themselves and unlock their potential. Her commitment to one-to-one youth work means every young person she works with has secured a positive outcome, moving on to training or employment.
We can’t say it better than Lucy, a young woman Coral mentored in 2017. When they first met, Lucy had no confidence and was struggling to find work – now she’s a Visitor Assistant at the Scotch Whisky Experience, leading tours for hundreds of guests every day.
Lucy said: “When I first met Coral, I was anxious and lacked self-belief. Now I feel like a different person… She has truly inspired me and her mentoring has helped me to discover who I am as a person and how to follow my heart in everything I do.”
If there’s a fiercer advocate for girls and young woman in Scotland than Katie Horsburgh, then we haven’t found them.
Every week, Katie (above) volunteers as a Young Leader with the 193rd B City of Edinburgh Guides and leads girls in a wide range of activities, challenges and adventures. But at just 17, she is also fast becoming a high-profile campaigner for young women’s rights. Katie volunteers as an Advocate, representing Girlguiding nationally to speak out on a wide range of issues from period poverty to media sexism. As part of a national campaign to end sexual harassment in schools, Katie created a powerful film about girls’ experiences – she won a John Byrne Award for her creative efforts.
Most recently, Katie was invited to join the First Minister’s Advisory Council for Women and Girls where she’ll represent the views of Girlguiding Scotland’s 50,000 young members.
Commenting, CEO of YouthLink Scotland, Jim Sweeney MBE said: “We want to celebrate young people and the youth workers who make a difference. Coral Riddell and Katie Horsburgh are an incredible illustration of youth work that literally changes lives.
“In every part of Scotland, every day, thousands of youth workers, many of them volunteers, are supporting young people to follow their dreams and realise their potential. At the heart of these Awards will be the voices of our young people, telling their youth work story.”
The National Youth Work Awards 2018 will be one of the events that celebrate Scotland’s first-ever Year of Young People. This national event, co-designed with young people, will showcase their amazing talents and will recognise the impact of youth workers on the lives of young people.
The Awards are all about celebrating the power of young people and the vital role of Scotland’s 80,000 youth work volunteers and staff in the lives of our young people.
Rachael McCully, aged 21 and Steven Mann, aged 23, from the YOYP Communic18 group, who are involved in co-designing the Awards said: “The National Youth Work Awards lets us celebrate the truly life changing work our youth workers are carrying out on a daily basis. It’s time for them to be recognised for the unbelievable work they do for the young people across the nation. We have the great pleasure of co-designing the awards this year and we are hoping to make it the best year so far.”
Minister for Childcare & Early Years Ms Maree Todd MSP said: “As part of the consultation for Year of Young People 2018, young people highlighted that they want to celebrate the important role supporting adults have on their lives. Thousands of young people across Scotland have silent champions, who work behind the scenes to raise aspirations and build young people’s confidence and skills.
“The National Youth Work Awards will provide an excellent platform during Year of Young People 2018 to shine a light on the life-changing role youth workers, volunteers and staff make to Scotland’s young people.”
The National Youth Work Awards will be held on Thursday 15 March 2018 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Glasgow, hosted by Deputy First Minister, John Swinney MSP.
To get involved visit the YouthLink Scotland website at www.youthlinkscotland.org
As Scotland continues to feel the effects of the severe weather of recent days, people are being asked if they can offer to help in their communities. Continue reading True Grit: help your community, says Swinney
Young people will help create a 10 year plan for volunteering in Scotland
As part of the Year of Young People, Communities Secretary Angela Constance has confirmed investment of up to £172,380 to develop a National Youth Volunteering Design Team in partnership with ProjectScotland and Young Scot.
Up to 25 young volunteers from a variety of backgrounds across Scotland will lead work to develop recommendations to help the Scottish Government ensure that by 2028, more people volunteer than do not.
Making the announcement at the Gathering 2018, Ms Constance said: “Volunteering is such a rewarding experience both for the volunteer and for our communities.
“This is an innovative and dynamic approach to increasing volunteering opportunities, especially for young people. Our commitment to equality and diversity underpins our approach to promoting volunteering and we want to increase such opportunities.
“Our Programme for Government promises to be bold in our vision for volunteering and to work with young people to better understand their aims and motivations. There’s no better time to do that than the Year of Young People.”
Dured Alhalabe, Founder of the Amal Project, volunteer from Aberdeenshire, and Young Scot Award winner said: “Volunteering has been so important to me. Volunteering brings people together, helps to develop new skills and makes our communities stronger. I think it’s great that other young people, like me, will have a direct say in developing the new strategy, so we can find new ways to encourage more young people get involved in volunteering.”
Volunteer-led Eric Liddell Centre footcare service Caring Soles is to hold a volunteer training and information day on Thursday 1st February from 10am to 3pm at The Ripple Project Hub on Restalrig Road South. There are a few free spaces left on this day which gives an ideal opportunity to find out more about good personal footcare and how to volunteer with this popular footcare service.
Lisa Jennings
Caring Soles’ Personal Footcare Service Co-Ordinator
Eric Liddell Centre, 15 Morningside Rd, Edinburgh, EH10 4DP
Young disabled people in Edinburgh are thriving after gaining valuable skills, thanks to new volunteering opportunities from Leonard Cheshire Disability. Continue reading Can Do: Volunteering opportunities help our young disabled people thrive
… and Lottery success for Granton Community Gardeners
A mother who lost her son in the most tragic of circumstances has today welcomed a National Lottery cash boost that will allow the Scottish Cot Death Trust to support many more bereaved parents to come together to share their experiences. Local project Granton Community Gardeners also received some welcome news this morning – the project is to receive over £78,000 to support and expand it’s programme of activities. Continue reading Bereaved families to benefit from National Lottery investment
