BBC CIN Youth Club Dictionary Launch:
I wanted to begin our SCYAP October Blog by supporting our colleagues at BBC Children in Need with the launch of their Youth Club Dictionary, a new resource celebrating the words, phrases and experiences that come from youth club culture across the UK. The campaign aims to highlight the importance of youth work and the positive difference that youth clubs make in young people’s lives. SCYAP perhaps does not operate what is traditionally thought to be a youth club, but we do support groups and youth action activities which provide a similar sense of belonging and connection for local young people. We therefore fully endorse this campaign and would encourage everyone to have a look at the Dictionary and enjoy how the words are used with great insight and creativity. The dictionary has been collated in collaboration with Oxford University Press and has also been championed by rapper and former youth club member DC3 Media, who has released a track and music video inspired by the language and experiences captured within the dictionary. Karen Bradley who is the BBC Children in Need Impact Manager for Scotland has highlighted: “With 1,200 youth clubs closing since 2010, JD Sports and BBC Children in Need are calling on the nation to help protect the spaces that speak the language of youth. Places like the Safer Communities Youth Action Project . To find out more and donate to youth clubs, visit www.youthclubdictionary.co.uk.”
Volunteering Matters Action Earth:
We have now entered our Autumn and winter programme for 2026/27, and whilst we have a new youth social action project at the developmental stage, we also have ongoing programmes and activities available for local young people. Firstly, I would like to congratulate the young volunteers who spent time over their October School holiday to work in the SCYAP Wild Nature Garden within the woods beside Tamfourhill Community Hub . The Group cleared loads of undergrowth, prepared planters and seeded them with wildflowers and pollinators which should appear next spring. The paths have been cut back so there is now improved access to the SCYAP wild nature garden and bench. We also spent time enjoying nature in the woods and finished off the afternoon with a tasty BBQ and toasted marshmallows on the fire. This Wild Nature Garden was developed through our Standing up for Nature Programme which was funded via the Volunteering Matters Action Earth Project. Thanks to everyone who volunteered throughout the funded phase of the Porject going back to April this year. The Wild Nature garden has been a success; encouraging biodiversity, providing vegetables for the community and with the rapid growth of fruit trees and bushes which are now beginning to thrive.
October School Holiday Programme:
The October School Holiday programme operated over the two weeks of the school holidays and was a mixture of Master Chef at the Hub with young people learning about food preparation and cooking and outdoor learning activities, including; a session at the Well Wild Project and a Mountain biking expedition led by FEL.
Twilight Sports Winter Programme:
As the clocks have gone back, and the nights are fare drawing in so it must be time for the Twilight Sports Winter Programme 2026/27; We are very happy to announce that the Programme returns on Friday 6th November from 6pm-8pm in Tamfourhill Community Hub and it’s all free for 10-16 year olds, food and drink provided, we have our usual sports of Rollerblading & fun fitba, Dr Bike will be available as detailed on the programme below and also a few surprises along the way.
And finally, we always take our evaluation of all our activities and programmes very seriously, not least to ensure that young people are able to have a meaningful say in the types of provisions and opportunities we provide. Young people are our most important stakeholders and they should therefore be at the centre of both the evaluation and the development of everything SCYAP gets involved with , empowerment and responsibility are then our key drivers. SCYAP off course has a responsibility to report back to our funders and describe in some details how young people have been involved with the development of the Project and how the funding has been used against the agreed criteria and expected outcomes of the respective funders. So to conclude this months blog here is a really good and fun short movie of young people evaluating last summers Twilight Sports Programme. Leo our young volunteer spent considerable time editing and filming this short piece, which asked quite simply for young people to describe their experiences of the Twilight sports programme but to do this by only using one word; enjoy to the full;
For those who would like some more details , here is the full Summer Twilight Sports Programme 2026 young peoples Evaluation report.
