Eleven Young Leaders from SSF CashBack – Transforming Lives took part in a weekend training course where they built up their leadership skills and qualifications.
Over the 14th-16th October, the Scottish Sports Futures (SSF) team held the first in a series of SSF Young Leaders 3-day training events at Inverclyde National Sports Centre with SSF Young Leaders from across North Ayrshire.
SSF Transforming Lives delivers timely, person-centred support and effective interventions, improving life chances for young people aged 10-24 in areas of deprivation across Scotland. The projects are delivered with love, care, and empathy; with young people at the heart. The Young Leaders programmeis a year-long, person-centred volunteering programme assisting, leading, and delivering sport in communities. For those ready for the next challenge, pathways can be selected, allowing them to take on more responsibility for event delivery, mentoring other young people, or becoming ambassadors for mental health and wellbeing.
The 3-day programme was designed to upskill our current group of regional SSF Young Leaders, supporting them through training, qualifications and essential skills required, as they progress towards volunteering placements within their communities, with the support of the SSF team and our local partners.
The main aim of three-day event was to upskill our young people and clarify their roles and responsibilities as an SSF Young Leader. This included the delivery of an SCQF accredited Education Through CashBack module (Working With Young People In Sport), as well as the completion of a Dynamic Youth Award, the delivery of Youth Scotland’s ‘Fun Games Training’. These courses were delivered alongside various team building and confidence enhancing activities and experiences which have allowed our SSF Young Leaders to work better with each other, become more confident in their approach to delivery, and more resilient in their outlook.
One young person has said,
I got more confident leading a session. The team building games were funny, minted games!
Another young person said,
(I learned) to be more confident, and respectful to others
I learned that we are all a team and that we can work together
Young Leader
[The training weekend] gave great experiences to the young people. I loved watching the staff and young people participating in the activities together and learning from each other. From my own experience and speaking with the other leaders, its sounded like they came away from Inverclyde much more confident.
SSF Staff member
The skills and qualities gained from this experience have equipped our SSF Young Leaders to be much more confident and has upskilled them greatly to take on volunteering roles, as they look to support other young people facing challenges and adversity within their own communities.
