My first experience with Scottish Sports Futures (SSF) was in 2013 when Kirsty McNab came to my local youth club at Reidvale Youth Hub and told all the young people about the SSF Young Leaders programme (formally Active East). During that meeting, I remember feeling excited, thinking about the opportunities this programme could mean for me. We also got pizza, so that might have fuelled the excitement to some extent.
From a young age, I was excited about volunteering and helping my local community. Growing up, I had not thought about a career path in youth work or community development but since that initial meeting with Kirsty and the rest of the programme staff, I have been involved with many different opportunities at SSF. I have had the chance to volunteer for local sporting events, residentials, national conferences, the SSF Youth Panel, the SSF Awards Nights, and The Commonwealth Games’ closing ceremony, to name but a few!
Having the opportunity to become a volunteer within the different programmes at SSF has allowed me to better understand the work of the charity and involve myself within the areas where I have felt most passionate. I was able to meet new people and create long lasting friendships. Even my school friends joined the SSF Young Leaders programme which made it more special as we all enjoyed a similar journey where we could share our SSF experiences together.
Now, over 7 years on, Kirsty is CEO of SSF, and I am delighted to have joined the team full-time as a Youth Development Coordinator for Glasgow. I am excited to be working with young people from my local and surrounding communities to have better opportunities and chances at life. With my background as a volunteer at SSF, I will be able to share lived experiences with young people and hopefully inspire them to become active citizens with their own communities.
