Over the past month, the team have been hard at work delivering five online Learning Events for our SSF Young Leaders. The concept of the learning events was to bring all of our Young Leaders across Scotland together to take part in learning and training, and to design their 2021 volunteer journey. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the team adapted these events to be delivered digitally. Events took place for SSF Young Leaders in Glasgow, Fife, Stirling, and North Ayrshire.
In creating the events, we worked in partnership with local organisations in each area and held consultation with SSF Young Leaders themselves. An Event Steering Group, made up of existing Young Leaders, also helped to design the events. This helped ensure that each learning event met the needs of every young person to enable them to support their community effectively. The consultation shaped the format of the learning events and the key programmes the SSF Young Leaders wanted to know more about. Five workshops were held which introduced the Young Leaders to some of the different opportunities available: Community Champion, Shell Twilight, Wellbeing Ambassador, Event Champion and Mini Mentor. In addition to this, external speakers were invited to share their experience of living and working in each of the areas, and to highlight the importance of young people taking the lead in sport and youth work within their communities.
The Learning Events have prepared and motivated the SSF Young Leaders to go into their communities and make a real difference. The aim was to upskills and build on their confidence to engage with young people and families in their communities. As part of their volunteering journey, Young Leaders will support and deliver sessions, mentor peers, and design engaging games and activities. Our Learning Event Steering Group wanted to ensure that, by the end of the event, SSF Young Leaders from all four local authorities were confident and excited about getting out to deliver in their communities.
Feedback from young people who attended the events was that they are really looking forward to the new SSF Young Leaders programme, as it gives them a chance to work more closely with other young people in their local areas.
The SSF Young Leaders programmes is supported by CashBack for Communities and BBC Children in Need. The Wellbeing Ambassadors strand of the programme is delivered in partnership with SAMH, and is supported by The Robertson Trust, Scottish Government, sportscotland, and Spirit of 2012.
