Young volunteers receive national recognition

The achievements of 29 young volunteers from The Boys’ Brigade have been recognised at a national graduation ceremony at St Ninian’s Church, Stonehouse, South Lanarkshire, on Saturday (30 March).

The young people from BB groups from across Scotland have graduated from The Boys’ Brigade’s 2017/18 KGVI youth leadership course. The course, which is levelled and credit rated by the SQA to the Scottish Credit & Qualifications Framework, is designed especially for young people aged 17 – 21 to support them move into leadership roles within The Boys’ Brigade.

The experience is like no other offered within the organisation and equips participants with the skills, knowledge and confidence to become an effective youth leader.

KGVI graduate Heather Paul, 19, is a young leader with the 8^th Paisley BB.

She said:

“KGVI has boosted my confidence, helped me grow as a person and allowed me to make so many new friends. It has made a huge difference to my life.”

Iain Lang, 18, 1^st Alloway BB, also graduated from the training.

He said:

“KGVI was a fantastic experience – I made loads of friends and memories which will last a lifetime.”

The course, lasting 53 weeks, consists of two one-week residentials take place at Carronvale House, The Boys’ Brigade’s national training, recreation and residential facility in Larbert, Stirlingshire – and a year of supervised support leading activities in local BB groups. Since the 1990s, it has been endorsed by the CLD Standards Council for Scotland.

Alan Anderson, KGVI course leader and BB volunteer leader, highlighted the impact these young people will have on the organisation and the wider community.

He said:

“Our course was designed to enable everyone to further develop existing talents and skills as well as learning new ones.

“These young leaders are driving forward our organisation and will impact on the lives of many young folks coming up through the different sections. They will help shape and guide the future of the youngsters within their own BB sections and further afield, and have the opportunity to be one of the most positive role models in their lives.”

KGVI training was started in 1954 in memory of King George VI and since its inception over 2,400 young people have participated in the course.

Alan Hunter, Training and Development Officer at The Boys’ Brigade, said:

“Many congratulations to the KGVI Graduates who have worked so hard to complete the training. They and their families should be incredible proud of this achievement.

“The BB offers a wide range of training and skills development opportunities, but the KGVI experience is unique – offering young people a chance to develop leadership skills, create lasting memories and also achieve a recognised qualification.

“From communication and presentation skills, to first aid and faith development, KGVI offers the space to learn important life skills, discover hidden talents and grow as individuals.”

To find out more about the KGVI Youth Leadership course, please go to the KGVI page.

Tags: KGVI