The Boys’ Brigade has joined forces with four youth organisations as part of the Young People Take the Lead (YPTtL) project.

Seventy young leaders from Girlguiding Scotland, Girls’ Brigade Scotland, Scouts Scotland, Youth Scotland and the BB took part in the ‘Strive 2’ residential programme which was led and delivered by young people. The residential programme took place at the Lochgoilhead National Activity Centre in Argyll. The event and wider project has been made possible thanks to CashBack for Communities funding.

The programme consisted of outdoor learning opportunities including bush craft, high ropes and archery, and a variety of workshops including first aid, Money for Life and media training, to equip young youth workers with the skills to deliver their own programmes at a local level. In the three years it has been running, YPTtL has provided 5,000 leadership opportunities for young people in the five organisations across Scotland. The funding has also supported BB awards such as the Queen’s Badge and the KGVI Youth Leadership training programme.

Cameron Shields, BB young person from Renfrewshire and member of Strive2 advisory team, attended the weekend. He said:

“All the youth organisations worked together to have a very enjoyable weekend where young leaders could build connections and support one another.

 

 

“The variety of people you meet from these events is fantastic – from different organisations and different backgrounds. Strive2 challenged everyone out of their comfort zone and allowed young people to develop and grow whilst having amazing fun.”

Alan Hunter, acting director for The Boys’ Brigade Scotland, said:

“Programmes like Young People Take the Lead are a fantastic opportunity for our members to meet others from similar organisations and learn a variety of new skills. It gives our members the chance to think up new ideas, take responsibility and discover new ways to improve the way our programmes are delivered at each of our local companies.

“We had 15 BB young leaders take up this opportunity and the feedback has been very positive. Not only do events like these equip young people with new skills, it empowers them to empower them to take a lead in their local communities.”

BB young people will continue to benefit from CashBack funding for at least the next three years following a Scottish Government announcement in November 2016.

Tags: CashBack, young leaders