Two people sitting on purple stools in front of shelves of books. The person on the right has a yellow soft toy sitting on their lap. The person on the left has a small child sitting on their lap.

Nominations open for Bookbug Hero Award 2024 – here’s everything you need to know

Posted 13.10.23 by Alice Hinds

The Scottish Book Trust has launched the fifth annual Bookbug Hero Award, and is now calling on people to nominate practitioners who use reading to improve the lives of children and families across Scotland.

Run in association with Walker Books, publishers of award-winning authors including Anthony Horowitz, Angie Thomas and Cassandra Clare, the Bookbug Hero Award 2024 is open to librarians, early years workers, volunteers, health visitors or anyone who uses Bookbug to enhance literacy programmes within the local community.

The biggest nationwide universal book gifting programme in the world, Bookbug sees every child in Scotland receive four free book bags between their birth and first year of school, and around 375 Bookbug Sessions take place each week in libraries and community spaces across Scotland, while Bookbug for the Home practitioners also support families on a one-to-one basis.

Nominations are open from now until Friday 10 December 2023, and the winner will be celebrated with a short film made about their work, as well as a special trophy and a bundle of picture books worth £500.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives with reading and writing, said: “Bookbug reaches children all over Scotland, providing vital access to books. Without the work of Bookbug practitioners, many families would not discover the fun and lifechanging benefits of sharing stories, songs and rhymes. It is fantastic to be able to recognise this important work through the Bookbug Hero Award, for the fifth time. Our thanks to Walker Books for their continued support in recognising these heroes.”

The team at Walker Books added: “We really appreciate all that Bookbug and the heroes who run the programmes do for communities, and we are really pleased that we can continue to show our appreciation and support of that work by sponsoring the award. We love that it shines a light on those practitioners who champion reading, and work tirelessly to change lives through stories and can’t wait to hear more about the next winner!”

Librarian Ian Keane, winner of the Bookbug Hero Award 2022, said tacking home the prize had a huge impact on his local community – and even saw more people come to his library.

“Our library service was losing the battle and losing the war on maintaining Public Services,” he said. “To have a national agency declare that you and your service are doing great was a shock (a good one).

“It reinvigorated the whole team, it inspired us to work harder, we nearly doubled the number of attendees in the 'Hero' year. It has recalled us to life and reminded us of our relevance and worth. The war for public service is still being fought but thanks to the Bookbug Hero Award, for a little while at least we won our battles and found new strength. It won't be long before the early Bookbug toddlers return with their children. Hopefully, if we keep winning, the Library and our team will be there to greet them.”

For more information and to nominate your local Bookbug Hero, click here to visit the Scottish Book Trust website

Want to discover more about how reading can improve children’s lives? At Children in Scotland’s up-coming Early Years Conference 2023, author Laura Henry-Allain MBE, creator of the JoJo and Gran Gran characters, will deliver a keynote address, sharing her personal story of growing up as a working-class, dyslexic child on a council estate in west London, as well as the importance of diversity and inclusion in education. Click here to book your place

Pink and orange text on a white background 'I am super excited to be delivering a keynote speech at the Early Years Conference. The conference is a must for anyone who works within early years education, irrespective of their role. Laura Henry-Allain MBE keynote speaker. On the right an image of a smiling person with long black hair. The image sits inside a pink speech mark. Along the bottom white text on a green background Children in Scotland's Early Years Conference

Innovative high school project praised for exploring new ways to cut the cost of the school day

Posted 05.10.23 by Alice Hinds

Pupils and staff at Braes High School, Falkirk, have been praised by the Scottish Government for finding innovative ways to help cut the cost of the school day for families struggling to make ends meet

Highlighted as part of Challenge Poverty Week (2-8 October 2023), the Cost of the School Day Pupil Group has been working alongside the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) (click here for more) to develop new cost-saving initiatives, including creating ‘Take What You Need’ trolleys filled with essential school items, toiletries and snacks, clothing pop-up shops, a uniform exchange, and a school starter kit backpack for all S1 pupils.

Although state education is free in Scotland, the cost of uniforms, trips, lunches, gym kit and stationery can be a financial burden for many families, particularly those on low incomes, who may struggle to find extra money in the household budget. According to recent research from CPAG, parents across the UK typically need to find at least £39 per week for a child’s secondary school education, and £19 for a primary-aged child – a total of more than £18,345 for children throughout their schooling.

On a visit to Braes High School, the Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “It was hugely encouraging to visit Braes High School during Challenge Poverty Week and to witness the innovative approaches pupils and staff have adopted to deal with the challenges that, sadly, too many of our young people and their families are facing.”

Joining together a network of children and young people, CPAG has been working hard to break down the financial barriers to education, encouraging people to speak more openly about the costs associated with schooling, while also introducing a free to access toolkit, which includes a variety of resources, information and practical ideas for both pupils and parent.

Sara Spencer, Cost of the School Day Project Manager at CPAG in Scotland: “We have been delighted to work with Braes High School and their Cost of the School Day Pupil Group and see all of the meaningful ways young people have involved their school community and designed supports that help to make sure everyone can take part and feel included.

“Cost of the School Day at Braes is an inspiring example of what can happen when young people take the lead on equity in their own schools and a reminder of the impact that a poverty aware school culture and a clear focus on reducing the cost of the school day can have.”

Schools in Falkirk Council have received more than £26 million from the Scottish Government between 2015-16 and 2022-23 to close the poverty related attainment gap, with Braes High School receiving more than £369,000 from the Scottish Government Pupil Equity Funding (PEF) to support its work.

Braes head teacher Iain Livingstone said: “Our young people, staff, parents/carers and the wider community work well together to challenge poverty and support all learners. Pupil Equity Funding has helped us take forward a number of projects and support to help our young people get the most out of their education.

“We enjoyed being able to speak with the Cabinet Secretary, and seeing our young people discuss the many developments and ideas they lead.”

For more information on CPAG and its work on The Cost of the School Day, click here to visit the website: cpag.org.uk/cost-of-the-school-day

The Youth Scotland Rural Action Fund reopens for applications

Posted 28.09.23 by Alice Hinds

Youth groups in rural areas can now apply for small grant support to boost opportunities for young people as the Youth Scotland Rural Action Fund reopens for applications

Supported by The Gannochy Trust, the fund was created to tackle the resource challenges faced by many rural youth groups in Scotland, and provides awards between £100 and £750 to enable projects to expand their offering or introduce new programmes.

Applications are open to Youth Scotland (click here for more) member groups operating in rural communities with a maximum of two full-time equivalent (FTE) staff members, and all programmes must provide universal access and support to young people aged between five and 25 years old.

Successful applicants will also be able to demonstrate a lack of alternative universal access to youth projects in their community as a result of their remote location, and provide evidence of an annual turnover less than £200,000.

The deadline for applications is 12 noon on 20 October 2023, with a possible second deadline on 24 November subject to funding availability. Applications will then be considered by a grants panel, with successful applicants notified within six weeks of the deadline.

For more information and to apply, click here to visit the Youth Scotland website: www.youthscotland.org.uk/programme/rural-action-fund

Young musicians invited to Hit The Road for 10th anniversary tour

Posted 21.09.23 by Alice Hinds

Celebrating 10 years of helping shape musical talent in Scotland, Hit The Road is inviting budding teenage artists to join them on a new anniversary tour

Launched in 2013, the project has supported more than 300 musicians across 120 live performances, delivering hundreds of industry sessions and helping aspiring young musicians to develop their talent and network with other artists.

Now, the initiative is encouraging musicians aged 14 to 19 to join its upcoming touring season, which will include performing at venues across Scotland, while also learning from seasoned industry professionals through a series of specialist workshops.

The workshops will cover a wide range of topics, from live sound engineering to stage production, equipping young artists with essential knowledge and skills for developing a career in the music industry.

Managed by the Scottish Music Centre and funded by the Youth Music Initiative (click here for more) via Creative Scotland and the PRS Foundation, the project has supported performers including singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi and Perthshire-based pop-rock band Parliamo – and organisers hope to find Scotland’s next music sensation as they open up applications for the new touring season.

“Reaching the milestone of a decade for Hit The Road is an incredibly proud moment for all of us who have been a part of this journey,” explained the project’s manager Michael Cassidy. “Over the past decade, we've witnessed the transformative power of live music on the lives of young people across Scotland, and it's incredible to see how far so many of them have come within the music industry.

“Hit The Road's primary objective has always been to provide budding artists with a stepping stone into the world of professional music, helping those who may not otherwise have the means to tour professionally and showcase their music to different audiences across Scotland.

“As we enter our tenth year, we are incredibly excited to discover and nurture new musical talent, and look forward to welcoming a new generation of artists ready to carve their own paths in Scotland’s vibrant music scene. If you are between the ages of 14 and 19 and have a passion for music and live performance we would love to hear from you!”

Applications are open now for the next touring season of Hit The Road, which will take place between September 2023 and March 2024, with all gigs hosted in safe venues across Scotland which are suitable for ages 14 plus.

Due to the project's popularity, young musicians are encouraged to submit their applications early to avoid missing out.

For more information and to apply, click here to visit the Hit The Road website: www.hittheroad.org.uk

“Children and young people need better support to identify when a lawyer may be able to help uphold their rights, and where this is the case, they need easier access to highly skilled lawyers. Achieving this requires systemic and cultural change, and greater resourcing.”

Not only did the Alright? project provide a creative output for the participating children and young people, it also shares an important message about the need for lawyers who care about the young people they support, and highlights that young people want lawyers who are able to communicate and connect.

Ruth Kerracher of Youth Justice Voices (click here for more) added: “The Rights In Justice project has been a key feature of Youth Justice Voices work. Young people involved in the project have been able to articulate what they need and want from lawyers.

“‘Alright?’ is a powerful output, it was co-produced with young people and really brings to life the importance of relationships, time and what lawyers can do to uphold children’s rights. We hope that greater training is provided to ensure that support is age appropriate and children and young people understand the decisions or processes which impact on their lives.”

Clan Childlaw was established 15 years ago to give children and young people facing adversity in Scotland their own lawyers, protecting and strengthening their rights, giving them a voice in decision-making that impacts their futures, and to improving their lives.

For more information, click here to visit the Clan Childlaw website: www.clanchildlaw.org/alrightanimation

Innovative animation project shares children and young people’s experiences of the legal system

Posted 14.09.23 by Alice Hinds

Made with the input of young people, a powerful new animation project explores the views of children with experience of the legal system, sharing their thoughts on lawyers and the vital work required to uphold children’s rights.

Created by Clan Childlaw, the Alright? Animation project built on a scoping study about the legal needs of children and young people in conflict with the law, providing attendees to the participation groups Youth Just Us (click here for more) and Inside Out (click here for more) with the opportunity to explore the issues more fully.

Produced alongside arts organisation Braw Talent, the short cartoon draws inspiration from real-life experiences, and saw children and young people write the script, explore themes, craft characters, review storyboards and even perform their own voiceovers for a moving and impactful final piece.

“Alright?" is an important call to action from young people about what they want from their lawyers,” explained Claire Lightowler from Clan Childlaw, Scotland’s law centre for children and young people. “It highlights a significant gap between what young people want and what they often experience.

For more information, click here to visit the Clan Childlaw website: www.clanchildlaw.org/alrightanimation

Record number of young Scots set on positive career paths as more teenagers enter education, training or employment

Posted 08.09.23 by Alice Hinds

The number of young Scots in education, training or employment has reached record levels, according to new figures, with more than 90% of 16 to 19-year-olds already following on a positive career path

From April 1 2022 to March 31 2023, the Annual Participation Measure (APM) showed the highest rate of participation since 2016, including a rise in young adult employment figures from 17.5% last year to 21.4%.

In the executive summary for the report, which was released by Skills Development Scotland, the increase in the proportion of 16 to 19-year-olds in employment, and a decrease in the number of school pupils, was partly attributed to increased employer demand for workers, as well as the use of HMRC data for the first time.

Of the 215,479 young people represented in the APM, 71.3% were found to be in education and 1.6% in training and development, with participation at highest levels amongst 16 year olds (99.2%) and lowest amongst 19 year olds (88.9%).

Using data from local authorities, colleges, HMRC, the Student Awards Agency Scotland, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Scottish Funding Council, the APM also found the difference between those going into education, employment or training from the 20% most deprived areas and the 20% least deprived areas was down to 8.3%, a one percentage point drop from the previous year.

Just 3.6% of the data set were either unemployed and seeking work, or not in employment and not seeking, representing a 0.4 percentage point decrease.

Commenting on the figures, Graeme Dey MSP, Minister for Higher and Further Education, said: “The Annual Participation Measure demonstrates that young people are making the most of the range of employment and learning opportunities open to them, with a record number now in positive destinations.

“The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have been tough on young people, however they have responded positively to the challenges and have demonstrated great flexibility, ingenuity and resilience. We will continue to work with partners, including the Third Sector to ensure that every young person can access a positive post school destination.”

Sharon McIntyre, Skills Development Scotland’s Head of Career Information, Advice and Guidance Operations, added: “These statistics are very encouraging and recognise all efforts with partners to ensure young people have the support they need to drive forward their future plans at this key stage in their career.”

Charity announces LGBTQ+ social history project to capture young people’s stories

Posted 27.04.23 by Alice Hinds

A new community archive project has been announced to document the lives of LGBTQ+ young people living in Scotland.

Launched by charity LGBT Youth Scotland, the (Un)Seen, (Un)Heard project will see young Scots come together to “capture, collate and conserve” their personal stories, creating an archive of experiences for future generations to learn from, share and enjoy.

Over the next three years, experiences of work, family, health, education and community will be documented through film, photography, audio and text, then shared through a national digital exhibition. Working in partnership with national archivists, the project will then be professionally archived to create an “accessible, engaging and enduring” resource, which represents the voices of young people around the country.

While a number of LGBTQ+ social history collections are already held by a range of organisations and museums throughout Scotland, the charity says few resources feature young people’s voices. (Un)Seen, (Un)Heard will help to connect people of all ages and strengthen communities, while also informing current and future policymakers.

Announcing the project, the charity said: “We believe it is vital to capture the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people – an important part of recording the social history of the LGBTQ+ community in Scotland and considering where that experience is shared and where it is different from other young people.

“Additionally, the hard-won progress of LGBTQ+ rights over the past 20 years has been stalled by the current debate on the rights of trans individuals and this combined with the pandemic had led to a time-sensitive need. Young people tell us that being LGBTQ+ means they face barriers to achieving their full potential in education, work, relationships, and that Scotland does not feel like a safe and inclusive place to live, love or learn.

“We know that visibility gives a crucial sense of security and belonging to LGBTQ+ individuals and that it helps to destigmatise different identities in their wider community.”

Celebrating 20 years as Scotland’s national charity for LGBTQ+ young people, this month, LGBT Youth Scotland unveiled a new five-year strategy, co-designed with the Youth Reference Group (YRG). Informed by research and developed alongside young people aged 13–25, the strategic goals for the charity include changing lives through youth work, influencing change through young people’s voices, and improving lives through partnerships and inclusive environments.

The future vision, the charity says, will be achieved through working with partners to create a more inclusive Scotland, where LGBTQ+ young people have better opportunities to belong, flourish and thrive.

Click here for more information on LGBT Youth Scotland website: lgbtyouth.org.uk

Millions of young people’s physical and mental health worsened by poor quality housing, new research finds

Posted 20.04.23 by Alice Hinds

One in six young people in the UK is living in poor quality housing, according to new research, with dampness and inadequate heating and plumbing facilities harming both the physical and mental health of millions.

Data from a new YouGov survey of more than 10,000 adults, published by the Resolution Foundation, found 2.6 million people aged 18 to 34 are residing in substandard accommodation, rising to more than a quarter of 18 to 24 year olds.

In Scotland, the figures fall to 8% for the same wider age group – however, the study noted this may be due to the demography of country. People from Pakistani or Bangladeshi backgrounds, for example, were most likely to report living in poor quality housing (36%), followed by black families (26%), therefore residents in cities like London, where there is a higher share of young and ethnic minority people than the UK as a whole, were twice as likely to experience poor quality housing than Scots.

The rising cost of living is also expected to add extra pressure for households. Although renters were most likely to report falling behind on housing costs over the past three months – with 15% of social renters and 10% of private renters in this position – more than one million mortgage holders will soon face more expensive fixed-rate deals, leading to an increased number of homeowners facing the same strain on their finances.

The research also found a strong correlation between poor-quality housing and poor health, which was most prevalent among young people, low-income families and those from ethnic minority backgrounds. Living in substandard properties was shown to make people twice as likely to experience health problems compared with people who reported living in decent homes.

In response to the findings, the Resolution Foundation said policymakers now need to focus on tackling the high costs and poor quality that have led to a twin housing crisis, building more affordable housing to rent or buy in high demand areas, and boosting standards in existing housing, particularly within the private rented sector.

Lalitha Try, economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: “The UK is blighted by two housing crises. High housing costs are causing many renters in particular to fall behind on housing payments, while poor quality housing is leaving millions of people having to deal with damp and malfunctioning heating, plumbing and electrics.

“High costs and poor housing quality can make life miserable for people, and can damage both their personal finances and their wider health. It is critical that policy makers tackle both of these crises – by building new affordable housing, and improving the quality of the housing stock we already have.”

Young people encouraged to ‘step into’ cultural experiences

Posted 12.04.23 by Lynn Gilmour

A new youth-led fund has opened to provide opportunities and support for young people to get involved in the arts.

Step into the Arts is especially aimed at young people who might not usually be able to access the arts or cultural experiences, with a total of £65,000 available to young people aged 5-25 from across Scotland.

The fund, which is managed by Youth Scotland and Creative Scotland, has two parts: First steps into the arts, for young people who have some, a little or no experience of the arts and want to explore them further, and Next steps into the arts, which is for young people who have experience in the arts and want to improve their practice or may be considering a creative career.

The fund is completely youth-led and was designed by a team of 14 young grantmakers aged 14–25, who devised the fund name, format and scope.

When applying, the idea must come from the young person or people; they must decide on what to put in the application and carry out the project if they are successful. Young people can apply as an individual or team of two, or in a group of three or more.

Young people who may need extra support to apply and carry out their project if they are successful can seek help from a supporting adult.

Speaking at the launch of the fund, Mike Strang, Chief Executive at Youth Scotland said: “Step into the Arts is a fantastic opportunity for young people in Scotland who are interested in the arts or are facing barriers in accessing them.”

Sarah Mcadam, TTS Programme Manager, Creative Scotland said: “This programme presents an exciting opportunity for children and young people to step into the arts and bring their creative ideas and projects to life. Developed and led by young people, Step into the Arts enables young people to directly influence decision-making in the arts, develop their own interests and creativity and share these with their communities.”

For full details on the criteria, what funding can be used for and how to apply, young people and youth workers can click here to visit the Youth Scotland website:
https://www.youthscotland.org.uk/programmes/step-into-the-arts/

Young people aged 16-25 invited to be anti-poverty Ambassadors

Posted 05.04.23 by Lynn Gilmour

Young people aged between 16 and 25 with an interest in tackling the causes of child poverty in the UK are invited to become Youth Ambassadors for a leading anti-poverty group.

The End Child Poverty (ECP) Coalition works alongside 10 Youth Ambassadors, who have been working hard to both influence the work of the Coalition and develop their own campaign on issues of importance for young people who have experienced poverty.

Their work has included researching, writing and publishing a report about the cost-of-living crisis (click here to read their report)

Now, ECP is looking to recruit at least another five Ambassadors. These young people need to be between 16 and 25 years old, and don’t need to have experience of growing up in a low income family – but young people who do are encouraged to apply.

Applicants should be able to commit to the role for a year, and are compensated for their time and effort.

Being an Ambassador can include: meeting MPs/MSPs, speaking at events, helping to develop a youth focused campaign, writing blogs for the ECP website, and speaking to the media.

The deadline for applications is Monday May 8 2023.

Click here to apply:
https://endchildpoverty.org.uk/apply

End Child Poverty Coalition

The End Child Poverty Coalition is made up of more 80 organisations including child welfare groups, social justice groups, faith groups, trade unions and others. Children in Scotland is a member of the coalition.

Together with a group of Youth Ambassadors the coalition collectively believes that no child growing up in the UK should live in poverty, and together we ask that this and future governments commit to end child poverty.

To do this the coalition engages with young people providing opportunities for them to share their experiences with decision-makers, shares knowledge and develops solutions with coalition members, and campaigns, uniting coalition members and young people to ask central and devolved governments to end child poverty.

Nominations open for Bookbug Hero Award 2024 – here’s everything you need to know

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