#RightSpaceFuture
A key outcome for the Youth Action Project is that we encourage and support young people to grow as active citizens, express their voices and enable change. Underpinning this is working with young people to build their confidence and facilitating opportunities where they can also develop a wide array of social skills. Our communities thrive when we have active and committed people who are confident to speak up and take responsibility and actions for the development and improvement of their local areas. This in essence is about community empowerment and ownership and our Youth Action approach is very much focused upon supporting and enabling local young people to be active citizens and community activists. Our recent Youth Action Group meeting with the MSP for Falkirk West Michael Mathieson and the SNP prospective candidate for our constituency and local councillor Gary Bouse was an important opportunity for young people to speak up about their priorities for the future of their community and indeed Scotland. We aligned last Mondays meeting with the launch of the youth work sector in Scotland’s national manifesto 2026 #RightSpaceFuture and which coincides with the campaigning process for the Scottish parliamentary elections scheduled for the 7th of May 2026. This made the flow of the discussion both local and national and young people were able to present their recent youth action work in Tamfourhill and Camelon via the photo display which had been prepared by young people at the Twilight sports session on the preceding Friday evening
As highlighted in last month’s Blog the Scottish Youth Sector manifesto states three national commitments: https://www.youthlink.scot/wp-content/uploads/Youth-Work-Manifesto-2026.pdf
- A Right – A Legal Right to Youth Work for All Young People
Every young person should have an entitlement in law to access youth work services, regardless of postcode, background, or income.
- A Space – Universal Access to Spaces for Youth Work
Guarantee free, fair, and consistent access to public spaces – such as schools, leisure centres, and community venues – for youth work providers, and create new, dedicated youth spaces in every community.
- A Future – Sustained and Increased Investment in Youth Work
Implement fair funding principles with ring-fenced, multi-year funding at both national and local level, rebuilding the workforce and ensuring long-term stability.
The key responses from our elected members at the YAG meeting, included:
- Our MSP Micheal Mathieson emphasised the importance of youth work ; upstream, early interventions and preventative and the role that youth work plays in diverting younger people from youth justice. This is an important observation and echoes the manifestos reference to youth work not being a cost but an effective solution.
- For youth work to be a legal right for all young people would require legislation being passed through parliament and therefore a legal definition of what was youth work would need to be agreed and established. Although this could be problematic and cover everything from uniformed organisations to employment services it did seem absolutely feasible to SCYAP that a legal and defining status could be confirmed for the profession of youth work.
- Matters relating to SCYAP and access to the school estate for our Twilight sports provision was taken up by Councillor Bouse and this was discussed within the wider context of the manifestos national commitment for universal access to spaces within communities for youth work. There were specific particulars that we discussed about the use of sports halls for inline skating, and issues relating to the asset transfer of community buildings to the community and the transference of the schools gymnasiums back to the council. These transfers were both highlighted as important considerations for future access for youth work and sports activities. It was agreed that we would enter further discussions with GB and Falkirk Council with this particular access matter.
- Funding was agreed to underpin the three manifesto commitments and without strategic ring-fenced funding there is no ability to have a Right to youth work and you wouldn’t be able to access community spaces. MM emphasised how the three commitments were intrinsically linked. SCYAP raised the Cash Back to Communities funding and sought an explanation as to why a tranche of this resource could not be allocated for long-term strategic funding which could be accessed by smaller grassroots community-based youth work providers. This would necessitate a change to the income threshold criteria for making an application. MM will meet and discuss this with the Justice Secretary and get back to SCYAP,
- The role of youth work in schools both locally and nationally was raised and SCYAP asked that this contribution to the Scottish Attainment Challenge should be recognised by government and reflected in additional funding being allocated and ring fenced for this area of important work. This aspect was also presented within the manifestos commitment to sustained and increased investment in youth work.
The meeting closed with an interesting presentation of SCYAP Youth action projects and the photo display led by the attendant members of the Youth Action group. We are now looking forward to receiving written responses from Michael and Gary detailing their commitment to advancing aspects of the Youth Work manifesto.
Peer Mentoring Project
Leo Cierpikowski our young volunteer who is progressing his Gold Youth Achievement Award has been leading our Peer Mentoring Project. This has been a fantastic area of SCYAP work and I would like to congratulate Leo on his planning , preparation and delivery of the first three project sessions. Leo is a brilliant role model, and he has been inspirational for the mentees who are taking a journey using creativity to reflect on their transitions from primary to High School . This is not an art class but a creative and mindful way to explore sensitive issues and to encourage peer support through a significant phase of a young persons life. This Project has been resourced by Youth Scotland with training being delivered in partnership with an organisation called Place2Be ,and it’s really worth having a look at their website: https://www.place2be.org.uk/
Climate Action Event
SCYAP has been supporting climate action groups in both local schools and the community, and this has involved standing up for nature, a sustainable food growing project , planting trees and bulbs, creativity with the pom poms workshops and now the start of the Active Travel Totem poles project along the top canal in Tamfourhill. This work has been made possible through collaborations and funding provided by Forth Environment Link and Walk Wheel Cycle Trust.
We are now bringing these themes together through the work of the Community Climate Action Plan Core Group by holding a young people’s Climate Action Event on Friday 6th March from 3.30pm -6.30pm in Tamfourhill Community Hub. This will be a fun way for 10–16-year-olds to take part in activities and workshops which are themed on climate action and tackling climate change. There will be: Growing and planting activities, the smoothie bike and sustainable energy bike, building bird nesting boxes, fruit kebabs and hot dogs, workshops about cleaner greener jobs and discussing experiences of climate change locally and other activities. I would like to thank our partners at FEL and TCV for supporting this event , its all free and you just turn up and take part.
Next month I will be highlighting our Easter Programme 2026 and introducing a new Porject aimed at 10–12-year-olds in the community.
Safer Communities Youth Action Project 