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Young people call on the new government to put youth voices at heart of policy-making, as The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award shares new research

25 Jul 2024

Young people from The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) are calling on the new government to back a Youth Pledge, committing to give young people a meaningful say on policies that affect them, as new research from the charity shows young people feel politicians don’t listen to their views or share their priorities.

Published on Tuesday, 23 July, the DofE Youth Voices 2024 study sought views on the political and personal issues that matter most to young people aged 14 to 24, and found that housing, the NHS, cost of living and mental health ranked highest among respondents.

However, young people also felt these areas are considered least important by political leaders, and 66% said they believe politicians in the UK are most likely to listen to those aged over 35.

And with just 22% of respondents agreeing with the phrase “politicians in the UK listen to people of my age”, DofE Award holders personally delivered a letter to 10 Downing Street to call on the new government and parliamentarians to respond to the disconnect and disillusion felt by many young people.

The letter called for MPs to back a Youth Pledge, which outlines a commitment to introduce a clear process to ensure that youth voices are factored into all levels of policy and decision-making over the coming years.

A diverse group of young people stand outside in a group, laughing and smiling together
L-R: Young people Yahya, Connor, Fiza, Jess, who are doing their DofE Award

Poppy, 19, a Bronze, Silver, and Gold DofE Award holder, who was among the group of young people delivering the letter to Number 10, said: “For too long, young people like me have been shut out of the conversation and having our views overlooked by adults who are making decisions that will affect the rest of our lives. Our views and experiences matter too, and politicians can learn from what we have to say.

“As a new government takes office, they have a fresh opportunity to reassure young people that they are listening to our hopes, concerns and priorities. Policy makers must consult us on decisions that affect us. We are the future of this country and we deserve a seat at the table.”

Ruth Marvel OBE, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: “Our findings clearly show that young people are ambitious for their own futures, but they continue to feel unheard and unsupported on the issues that will define their lives and careers.

“The new government must use this moment to acknowledge that disconnect and prove they’re listening by giving young people meaningful opportunities to be consulted on policy decisions that affect them, including through youth networks, youth-led organisations, the UK Youth Parliament and local youth partnerships and policy networks.

"Young people are this country’s future and should have a say on decisions that will fundamentally impact the rest of their lives.”

To read the Youth Voices 2024 report in full, click here to visit dofe.org/YouthVoices2024

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One Parent Families Scotland invites supporters to “share your voice” ahead of milestone anniversary

17 Jul 2024

One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) has invited supporters to help mark the charity’s 80th anniversary by sharing how its vital support services have made an impact.

Celebrating the incredible work that OPFS has accomplished over the past eight decades, single parents, staff members, volunteers and all other supporters who have worked with the charity are encouraged to share personal anecdotes, milestone moments, heartfelt messages, photographs and poems.

The charity, which has been changing lives and challenging poverty since 1944, said: “We warmly invite you to help us celebrate our legacy by sharing the stories that have shaped OPFS into the organisation it is today. We’d also love to hear stories from single parents of all ages, spanning as many decades as possible!

“By celebrating the incredible work that OPFS has accomplished over the years, your story can inspire others to join our mission for a Scotland where single parents and their children are valued and treated equally and fairly.”

Open for submissions until 31 July 2024, shared photos and stories will be used to build a brand-new page on the charity’s website, which will highlight the vast and varied work OPFS has done to empower single-parent families to reach their full potential.

To take part and share your story, click here to visit One Parent Families Scotland’s website

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Children in Scotland launches two new eLearning modules to support practitioners and young people through trauma

17 Jul 2024

Children in Scotland has today added two new courses to its dynamic eLearning Hub, providing innovative opportunities for both practitioners and children and young people to better understand trauma and its impacts.

Available for free as part of the charity’s commitment to supporting the children’s sector, the new programmes build upon the “More Than My Trauma” partnership and international conference, which was first delivered in 2021, and provide accessible information and guidance crafted by leading experts in the field.

Designed to support practitioners who work with children and young people experiencing trauma, the Recognising and supporting vicarious trauma course explores how working in the children's sector can impact mental health, and provides pratical advice and strategies to support workers with their own wellbeing while fulfilling their role.

From burnout to compassion fatigue, the course touches on a range of topics, and will be beneficial to professionals from a range of backgrounds.

Psychotherapist, consultant and coach Jan Montgomery, who helped to design the course, explained: “I was happy to provide the content for this eLearning module because it is important for everyone who provides support to understand how that work may be impacting them.

“If we understand this at a personal, professional and organisation level, we are less likely to be negatively impacted and more likely to be able to bring our best, most authentic self to work and thrive in our lives.”

An image of a pinboard with different pieces of paper and photographs pinned to it.
Let's talk trauma: preview of the module's learning pathway

Created specifically with children and young people in mind, Let's talk trauma: a guide for young people and professionals, is a vital resource for professionals and young people to work through together. The psychoeducation content for this module was developed by trauma experts from Kibble (click here for more), in collaboration with Children in Scotland, and explores how trauma can affect everyone's brains and bodies differently.

Dan Johnson, Clinical Director at Kibble, said: "We were really keen to develop this module as we knew there was a surprising lack of free and quality resources like it. Having something that can help explain what trauma is – and in a way that young people can respond to – can be invaluable. Hopefully it will increase understanding and be a small yet important part of young people recovering. It has been a pleasure to work alongside Children in Scotland and shows what can be achieved through collaboration".

Marie Harrison, Senior Policy Officer (Children’s Rights) for My Rights, My Say, said: “It has been a pleasure to be involved in the development of this eLearning course. Our Service teams work alongside children and young people who have experienced trauma, and we know how important it is for them to have relatable, clear, meaningful information and support available.

“With this module, we hope that children and young people who have experienced trauma will gain a sense that they are not alone, and that their feelings and emotions are valid. Trauma can be a difficult thing to talk about and many children tell us that ‘it isn’t a big deal’ or ‘I’ll get over it somehow’ or ‘it’s only what I deserve’, so we hope this amazing resource will allow children and young people to open up conversations and discuss their worries, fears and hopes for the future, supported by people close to them.”

Encouraging young people and practitioners to identify ways to cope with and recover from trauma, as part of the course, Children in Scotland’s Services team created “characters” from a composite of children and young people’s experiences, which were then voiced by actors from the Theatre School of Scotland (click here for more).

Marie added: “It was important for us to work on the character development for this module – we wanted the characters to be relatable and, as far as possible, representative of some of the different types of trauma children and young people can experience. We wanted to make sure that the characters amplify and highlight the truth about trauma – that all children and young people will react differently and there is no one right or wrong way to deal with it. What is important is to ensure that young people get the support they feel they need, not what others dictate should happen.”

Speaking about the development of the new training modules, Simon Massey, Children in Scotland’s Head of Engagement and Learning, said: “Our two new courses provide excellent learning opportunities, which fill gaps around supporting practitioners while providing clear information to young people. I’ve been impressed by the knowledge and enthusiasm demonstrated by those developing them and would encourage anyone who is working in their field to access the modules for free on the Children in Scotland eLearning Hub.”

Launched in December 2020, Children in Scotland’s eLearning Hub provides a range of online programmes in collaboration with organisations and services across Scotland’s children’s sector, and the two new trauma courses will join a new module on Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) launched last month and a course on understanding visual impairment in preschool children which will launch later in 2024.

For more information on the new More Than My Trauma courses, click here to visit our eLearning Hub

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Five child-friendly nature activities for the summer holidays

27 Jun 2024

With the school holidays fast approaching, many parents, families and caregivers will be on the hunt for summer activities that are not only purse-friendly but engaging and educational, too – and luckily, leading wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation is on hand to help.

From venturing outdoors to learn about insects to improving maths skills through butterfly spotting, discover the environmental charity's top recommendations for free and fun nature-led activities the whole family will love.

1. Join the Big Butterfly Count

Take part in the world’s biggest butterfly survey this July and August.  It only takes 15 minutes, it's fun and free, and also helps scientists understand how butterflies are doing across the UK.

Last year, for the first time ever, the most counted butterfly was the Red Admiral, with a whopping 248,077 recorded! Will it keep the top spot? Help the charity find out by taking part in the Big Butterfly Count as many times as you like, wherever you like, between July 12 and August 4 2024.

For more information, visit bigbutterflycount.org (click here for more) or download the free app.

2. Make and fly a butterfly kite

Not only will a fun craft project get your little ones outside in the fresh air, the charity's simple but effective butterfly kite-making activity is easy and requires few materials. No breeze? No problem! Try running with the kite behind you to get it to soar... Or should that be flutter?

Click here to access the template as well as a handy video guide.

3. Learn about butterfly body parts 

Ever wondered how many legs a butterfly has? Or if they can smell? Spark little ones’ curiosity this summer holidays with some fun facts about butterflies before heading out to see what you can spot.

Click here to watch Butterfly Conservation’s video all about butterfly body parts, learn more and plan your fun lesson.

A small pink and yellow moth sits on a child's finger.

4. Grow a wild home for butterflies and moths

Growing plants in pots can provide valuable food for butterflies and moths in any outdoor space, whether it be a patio, balcony, rented garden, or even a front doorstep! There are lots of plants to choose from that are child-friendly, liked by butterflies, and will thrive in a pot – as long as you remember to water them!

Here are a few of Butterfly Conservation’s top picks:

Nasturtium – this edible plant produces bright, colourful flowers and the leaves are irresistible to the caterpillars of the Large and Small White butterfly. They are really easy to grow from seed and the seeds are a good size for small hands to handle too.

Herbs – herbs make fantastic pot plants and can be enjoyed by humans and wildlife alike. Chives, Marjoram, Thyme, and Bergamot all produce flowers that insects love and are usually easy to find as seeds or plants from a garden centre, supermarket or online.

Salvia – this attractive plant grows well in containers,and there are lots of different sizes and colours to choose from. The flowers are loved by pollinators and their bushy leaves provide shelter for many other insects.

For more ideas, visit wild-spaces.co.uk (click here for more).

5. Look out for caterpillar clues

Spotting caterpillars can be tricky. While a few bright and colourful ones stand out, most are the masters of disguise! From looking for munched leaves to heading out under the cover of darkness, Butterfly Conservation has lots of top tips for spotting caterpillars, as well as resources to plan an educational caterpillar hunt with children of all ages.

Click here for a step-by-step guide and free downloadable worksheets.

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The road to safer journeys for children and young people

19 Jun 2024

With responsibility for road safety learning and publicity, Road Safety Scotland’s (RSS) learning resources have always been ‘child-centric’, co-produced with teachers and pupils, and linked to Curriculum for Excellence.

Aiming to ensure all learning resources are of a high quality and fully fit-for-purpose, RSS recently commissioned The Leith Agency to create new educational material for several of its online resources. Working with Children in Scotland's Policy, Projects and Participation Team, RSS also sought the voices and opinions of children and young people to ensure the information would engage learners in a way that was appropriate, relevant and challenging to them. Here, we find out more.

RSS believes road safety learning should be accessible for all children and young people in Scotland, with access to key learning made available at every stage on their journey towards becoming safe, independent road users.

The foundation for all RSS activity is a commitment to the use of analysis and evidence, and RSS has been at the forefront of driving an evidence-informed approach to road safety learning and publicity in Scotland for many years.

RSS sees road safety as a lifelong-learning process and, therefore, the knowledge, skills and attitudes which will be required when young people become independent road users – across all modes, including as pedestrians, cyclists, passengers and drivers – need to be embedded from the start.

When it came to creating new digital resources, RSS knew children's voices would be vital, and asked the Participation Team at Children in Scotland (click here for more) to help support the involvement of young people to share their views on the review and re-design.

Parisa Shirazi, Children in Scotland’s Senior Policy, Projects and Participation Officer, who helped lead recent in-person sessions explained: “Our approach to engagement is framed around the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) with a focus on Article 12, which states children and young people have the right to have their views heard on the issues that affect their lives.

“Young people have invaluable perspectives, views and voices, and it is our job to create the spaces and opportunities for them to be involved. From our own experience, involving children and young people not only enriches the process of creating new resources or policy ideas, but also makes the end result so much better than it would have been.”

A hand-drawn map details a local town centre, including road markings and pavements, buildings, cars, and traffic lights
Artwork created by children and young people during the RSS workshops

In the first phase of the project, Children in Scotland worked with secondary school pupils, delivering sessions at King’s Park Secondary School in Glasgow, and Marr College in Troon.

Parisa continued: “We spent time with pupils to see what they think young people should learn about in road safety, find out their views on the current resources available, and give them the chance to come up with their own prototypes of fun resources to share their ‘top tips’ with the designers.

“We were really impressed with the thoughtfulness and insight of the young people, who came up with ideas such as a future-proofing ‘cringe check’ of the new resources carried out by young people before they go out.

“We are currently involving more children and young people across Scotland in this work, through delivering sessions in primary schools and specialist support settings, and sharing an engagement pack that education staff can use with pupils. We look forward to hearing their ideas.”

RSS is currently undertaking a review of all its road safety learning resources to ensure they are accessible for children and young people with mild-moderate additional support needs, while also developing a new road safety resource for children with complex additional support needs, which will be ready by spring 2025.

With resources spanning the 3-18 curriculum, RSS says it is imperative learners are engaged in experiential and active learning, helping them prepare to make safer choices to protect themselves and others in the road environment.

Debbie Nicol, from Road Safety Scotland, added: “Many children and young people don’t have the ability to make good judgements about safe road use, and a lack of experience means they are at greater risk.

“These days, children and young people enjoy more freedom and travel further from home to school, college or social events and, although their road safety knowledge is high, it’s often not used. They may know what they should do – but they often make mistakes or are unsure of how to use their road safety knowledge.

“Updating our resources has been vital to ensure children and young people’s learning about road safety is not only age-appropriate, but a lifelong practice that is both accessible and engaging.”

To find out more about the road safety engagement work with children and young people, click here read the full report or visit roadsafety.scot

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Nominations now open for Scottish Children’s Health Awards 2024

13 Jun 2024

Do you know someone who has gone above and beyond to help improve children and young people’s health and wellbeing? Or a young person who deserves some special recognition?

Children’s Health Scotland is seeking nominations for the annual Scottish Children’s Health Awards, which celebrate courageous children, as well as individuals and professionals who are making a difference across a range of health-related fields.

Nominations are open now until 5pm on Friday, 12 July 2024 across the following categories:

Children’s Choice Award: someone special who has made a significant difference to a child or young person whilst they have been undergoing treatment in hospital, the community or at home.

Health and Wellbeing Award: individual practitioners and teams who have made a difference to the health and wellbeing of a child or young person in school, hospital or the community through treatment or advocacy.

Healthcare Rights Award: children have the right to the best health and medical care possible, as well as the right to play and education in hospital, and this award acknowledges the extraordinary steps taken by a nominee/team to advance the healthcare rights of children and young people.

Health-Related Play Award: the charity is looking for someone special – or perhaps a special team – who has made a significance difference to a child’s life through health-related play, which can help children physically, mentally and emotionally during treatment.

Improving Life Experiences Award: honouring an individual who has made a difference to the confidence and resilience of a child or young person, nominees may also have helped children and young people develop basic skills and habits to deal with challenges later in their life.

Young Achiever Award: a child or young person who has shown great determination and enormous courage in their life.

Judging for the coveted “Teddy Awards” will take place during July and August 2024, before winners are announced at a glittering ceremony, hosted by journalist and TV presenter, Catriona Shearer.

Taking place during Scottish Children’s Health Week, which runs from 2 to 8 September, the event will also include presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be chosen by a panel of judges, and celebrates those who have made outstanding contributions to the health and wellbeing of children and young people.

To find out more and make your nomination, visit childrenshealthscotland.org/events/awards

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New survey aims to highlight unpaid carers' experiences

6 Jun 2024

Charity Shared Care Scotland has launched a new survey for unpaid carers, aiming to gather experiences of accessing and using short breaks and respite services in Scotland.

Available now until July 31 2024, the online survey is open to all unpaid carers in Scotland, and the organisation would like to hear from carers of all ages, including those who provide support to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour.

With new “right to a break” legislation in development, Shared Care Scotland (click here for more) say it has never been more important to put carers voices at the heart of decision making, and responses from the survey will help to better influence the development of national and local policies and practice, while improving carers’ access to meaningful breaks.

“At Shared Care Scotland all of our work is informed by the voices of carers and those involved in developing and delivering meaningful short breaks,” explained Chief Executive Don Williamson. “The development of the Right to a Break from caring is a critically important step forward for unpaid carers. It has the chance to fundamentally change carers experiences for the better, but this right will only be met if there is short breaks and respite infrastructure in place to deliver it.

“Understanding the needs and the experiences of carers is an essential part of this process and we would encourage as many carers as possible to take part in our survey.”

Data from the survey will be analysed by the Shared Care Scotland team, who will later conduct a number of focus groups to discuss the issues in more detail. The survey consists mainly of multiple-choice questions, and should take no longer than 25 minutes to complete.

For more information and to access the survey, visit sharedcarescotland.org.uk/policy-practice-development/2024-carers-survey

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10 highlights from our Annual Conference 2024

5 Jun 2024

Filled with countless moments of joy, inspiration, learning and connection, Children in Scotland’s Annual Conference 2024 saw more than 400 delegates, speakers and exhibitors come together at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh.

From insightful workshops and uplifting keynotes to networking sessions and motivational speeches, the successful two-day event featured a packed programme – and here, we’ve rounded up just a few of the highlights to relive all the magic.

1. Our CEO shared the importance of optimism and hope

It’s no secret that many charities and third sector organisations are currently facing a range of challenges, including staff shortages and funding shortfalls. Echoing the themes discussed in her recent blog (click here for more), our CEO Judith Turbyne used her keynote address to acknowledge the serious impact these challenges will have on vital services for children and young people – but placed emphasis on never losing hope.

Speaking to a packed room of delegates on day one, Judith said: “The cost of living crisis – on the back of the pandemic – has meant that we have been functioning in crisis mode for quite a long period of time, and we know what a serious impact this is having on the children and young and their families and carers, as well as the organisations working with and for them.

“However, I very much do believe there is real power in facing up to a crisis and allowing that to be one of the levers for change. There is always hope, and if we really work together, we can make change possible.”

2. We made hundreds of new friends!

Across both days of the conference, more than 450 delegates, speakers and exhibitors arrived at Murrayfield, enjoying a range of workshops, hands-on sessions and networking opportunities. What’s more, our official conference hashtag #CiSAC24 was used more than 100 times on X (formerly Twitter) as attendees shared who they met, what they learned, and how they were inspired to improve their work.

3. We welcomed Natalie Don MSP

Speaking passionately about her mission to make Scotland the best place for children and young people to grow up, Natalie Don MSP was welcomed to the stage on day two of the conference.

The Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise discussed a range of issues relevant to the children’s sector, providing valuable insights for delegates, before staying to visit our busy exhibition hall – and stopping to speak with Changing our World (click here for more), our vibrant children and young people’s advisory group, who had their own stand in our exhibition hall.

Natalie Don MSP with CoW

4. Delegates learned why courageous leadership is vital for reducing violence

During a personal and inspiring speech, Jimmy Paul, Head of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, called for children to be better represented in discussions about rising violence in schools, and shared why a trauma-informed approach should be taken to address such challenges.

His thoughtful speech, which focused on the need for collaboration over competition, was one of the programme highlights. Reflecting on the talk, one attendee said: “Jimmy's very personal story resonated and made me reflect on how our roles must always centre on supporting young people and families, and going above and beyond to protect them and adapt to them as individuals”.

5. Our AI panel focused on children’s rights

Hosted by Ken Corish, Online Safety Director for the South West Grid for Learning, with Gregory Metcalfe from Children’s Parliament and Dr Mhairi Aitken of The Alan Turing Institute, our panel on children’s Rights and AI raised lots of important issues, and helped to raise awareness of the safety implications of chat bots and AI-generated content.

As Gregory said during the panel: “AI is such a rapidly evolving field, it can feel impossible to keep up – but the important thing is to focus on children's rights".

6. We made some Braw animations

During an interactive and engaging workshop, Braw Talent (click here for more) shared how they use storytelling to enable young people to share their voices – and attendees even got to create their own stop motion films based around UNCRC incorporation!

Braw Talent workshops AC24

7. There was a magical musical moment

During the Live Music and Mental Health workshops, which shared key learnings from a recent project engaging with children and young people and professionals, attendees were treated to a live performance from the incredible Scottish Ensemble (click here for more) – who needs Taylor swift tickets when you’ve been to #CiSAC24!

8. Children and young people were put at the heart of our event

When it came to shaping the programme for our Annual Conference, we knew children and young people’s views and opinions would be vital for ensuring its success. As well as helping with the planning process, we were lucky enough to have members of Changing our World in attendance across both days, while members Mhairi and Olive came on board as co-chairs.

It was so inspirational to see CoW members not only chatting with delegates but hosting workshops and leading discussions – and we can’t thank them enough for all their hard work.

9. We sparked new connections

With more than 40 exhibitors hosting stalls at the conference, our delegates got the chance to learn about everything from mental health and wellbeing to social care innovation, safeguarding initiatives, suicide prevention, road safety, support available for the third sector and so much more. Plus with 25 informative workshops, there was space for lots of learning, too.

10. And there were lots of cuddles…

Zola Pets as Therapy

The wonderful charity Pets As Therapy (click here for more) brought along a special surprise for delegates – beautiful pooch Zola, who was more than happy to receive cuddles between workshops.

Thanks to everyone who attended our Annual Conference 2024, including our sponsors Kibble, Road Safety Scotland, Harmeny, and Yopa, who made it all possible.

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Tackling "poverty of opportunity" one bairn at a time

10 May 2024

When Dundee Bairns was established in 2017 by David Dorward, former Chief Executive of Dundee City Council, its main focus was tackling the “holiday hunger” faced by children living in areas of high multiple deprivation across the city.

Now, having grown and expanded with the help of volunteers and the local community, the charity offers a range of additional support, including clothing packs, free summer activities, cooking clubs, and more. Here, Genna Millar, Project Manager at Dundee Bairns, tells us more.

Food poverty has been a huge, prevailing issue for a long time now, particularly in Dundee, where one in three children are classed as living below the poverty line.

In 2017, when Dundee Bairns was established, we saw food larders pop up for the first time across our city, with many created by volunteers, organisations and charities to help plug the gap in the new benefits system roll-out, which saw lots of families sanctioned or waiting up to 12 weeks for any money to come through the door.

It was the first time I had seen such a harsh change in the system, and it led to many families and individuals having to make really stark choices about where to spend their money. And for households that were already financially challenged, when the school holidays came around, it meant some children were spending up to seven weeks struggling to access a decent meal or any kind of day out or activity.

Our Fun and Food programme was incepted to help already established community projects to access funding and food, enhancing their activities or helping them cater to more children and families in areas of high multiple deprivation. It is now a staple of the school holiday activity provision in Dundee, with community groups, schools, church groups, support workers and more all supported by Dundee Bairns.

We now work with more than 100 community projects and schools, and supply around 3,000 to 5,000 meals per week during the holidays. Activities we have supported over the years have included hiring a lifeguard so that children with additional support needs had access to swimming sessions to funding for arts and crafts and t-shirt making kits for community family fun days, and even paying for pony-axe hire to enable children in wheelchairs to take part in horse-riding.

The meals provided by the Fun and Food programme help to take the pressure off families, who are already struggling – and when children are well fed, sometimes the whole family is, too. It really does make a world of difference and, most importantly, it is dignified access to food and engaging activities.

Poverty of opportunity

Over the past seven years, we have seen a “slow burner” effect as standards have never improved for families and, in many cases, they have been worsened, first by COVID-19, and now by the cost of living crisis.

While prices have gone up massively across the board, benefits and wages don’t match the reality of daily living. The traditional image of an older person struggling to “heat or eat” is long gone, and people of all ages are now struggling to do either.

There is also the growing issue of poverty of opportunity for many young people, not just in Dundee but across the country. We live in a world that is being more and more monitised – and as resources become scarce due to lack of funding at government level, we are seeing more and more people generally being priced out of so many opportunities, which we all used to take for granted. We are very good at targeting support at the people we know are struggling but I see many more cases of in-work poverty, which is not being supported properly, and will become a massive issue if left unchecked.

Food poverty is a symptom of a poverty of everything else – if a family is struggling to put food on the table, it’s more than likely they won’t be able to support other basics. For example, I have worked with children who have never been to their local theatre, zoo, museum or beach, let alone been out of the city on holiday in the UK or abroad, which is shocking. How can you begin to dream bigger than your circumstances when your world is so narrow?

What’s more, school systems are struggling to cope with the level of welfare they need to tackle before they can begin teaching a child. Lack of resource in schools is a huge issue, and it’s frightening to see the cuts to resources in an area we know is already so stretched and doing so much with so little.

Two people wearing blue tshirts load boxes into an open car boot.
Dundee Bairns volunteers

Looking ahead

Dundee Bairns has grown so quickly in the last few years, and we have expanded our support with a wide range of programmes. Our new Bairns at Home project, for example, was started in September last year, and we have seen some absolutely mind-blowing results from it already – 60,000 items distributed to over 650 families with 6,000 children in just six months! While this project is very new, it has been a real game-changer for the third sector in Dundee, and we hope to deliver much more in the coming year. We also have funding to develop our Tea Club project, and we will shortly be employing a new member of staff to help us grow our food programmes from a nutritional point of view.

Although Dundee Bairns is working hard to support children and families across the city, it’s hard to think of our work as a “success” because the reasons we exist are not happy ones.

Food poverty for children could be tackled better by school food provision – at the moment, the provision is very limited, particularly for secondary school children. Many cost-cutting initiatives have been brought in to make meals at school fit a certain ideological criteria, and the result has been hungrier not healthier children.

Put simply, one school meal a day simply isn’t enough.

For more information on Dundee Bairns, visit www.dundeebairns.org

Member Spotlight

Discover more about the work of Dundee Bairns. Pictured: Genna Millar

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Annual Conference 2024

Join us on 29 & 30 May at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh

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Our membership offer

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Participation and engagement work

Find out more about how we embed the inclusion and participation of children and young people in our work

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Our services

We offer we offer a range of services that provide support, advice and representation for children and families

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Learning opportunities 2024

Discover our learning programme for the year ahead

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Insight Issue 5

Find out what's inside the latest issue. Illustration by Ally McKay

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Teen cancer survivor and advocate Molly Cuddihy and Natalie Don MSP join impressive line-up for Annual Conference 2024

3 May 2024

Children in Scotland has today revealed two more speakers for its Annual Conference 2024, with teen cancer survivor and advocate Molly Cuddihy, and Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise, Natalie Don MSP, joining the packed lineup of expert voices.  

Held in just one month’s time on Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 May at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, the flagship event will bring together delegates, partners and supporters from across the children’s sector, providing opportunities to exchange ideas, network and learn. 

Addressing the conference with a keynote speech on day one, Molly Cuddihy is a passionate advocate for the rights of children and young adults, particularly those living with and progressing from cancer and other serious illness, having been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer when she was just 15 years old. 

Currently a Youth Ambassador for the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, Molly has a wealth of experience to share with the conference. As co-founder of the charity Every Thank You Counts, and co-ordinator for the acclaimed Radio Therapy podcast (click here for more), which covers themes including mental health, body image and mortality, the inspiring teen will provide fresh perspectives on topics close to her heart. 

Speaking on day two of the conference, Natalie Don MSP, Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise, will discuss a range of issues relevant to children and young people, and the wider sector, providing valuable insights.

Natalie Don MSP said: “I'm really looking forward to what is set to be another amazing event run by Children in Scotland. 

“I was lucky enough to be invited to their 30th Anniversary Networking event last year where I had the pleasure of meeting a number of past and present staff members, and engaged with the amazing members of the Changing Our World children and young people’s advisory group. 

“As this inspirational group has been heavily involved with the development, planning, and workshop selection for the upcoming conference, I know it will be a very interesting and thought-provoking event where experts in a wide variety of areas can get together to discuss issues impacting children.” 

Alongside powerful keynote speeches, informative panel discussions, and engaging workshops, children and young people’s voices will be central to both days of the Annual Conference, with representatives from Changing Our World (CoW) (click here for more) co-chairing the programme. 

Ensuring attendees hear directly from the young Scots they work with and for every day has been a key goal for Children in Scotland when planning the Annual Conference 2024, and further highlights of the programme include co-designed workshops and interactive sessions, covering everything from supporting neurodivergent children to suicide prevention, Artificial Intelligence, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, learning through play, youth homelessness, and many more topics. 

For further information, interviews and all media requests please contact Alice Hinds: ahinds@childreninscotland.org.uk or press@childreninscotland.org.uk

Annual Conference 2024

Join us on 29 & 30 May at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh

Click here to book

Meet our speakers and presenters

Learn more about the experts joining us at our Annual Conference 2024

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Changing our World

Supported by Yopa, Changing our World is our children and young people’s advisory group

Find out more

Our membership offer

Be part of the largest national children's sector membership organisation in Scotland

Click here for more

Participation and engagement work

Find out more about how we embed the inclusion and participation of children and young people in our work

Click here for more

Our services

We offer we offer a range of services that provide support, advice and representation for children and families

Click here for more