Youth Action Team Roadshow
Vibrant Communities, in partnership with Education Services and Community Planning Partners, have been running Youth Action Team (YAT) roadshows in secondary schools across East Ayrshire.
The roadshows, which have been designed for young people from S1, include seven workshops that target specific dangers faced by our young people and also issues that affect our communities more widely, including antisocial behaviour.
Police Scotland led on the antisocial behaviour workshops, with each secondary school campus cop helping our young people to understand the impact of certain behaviours and encouraging them to be responsible citizens.
Scottish Fire and Rescue were on hand to deliver workshops on deliberate fire raising and water safety, while the NHS delivered two workshops on alcohol and drug awareness, and the health impact of vaping and smoking. Vibrant Communities led two workshops – peer pressure and stigma and mental health awareness with their Youth Work partners - Barnardo’s and Yipworld; and Yipworld also delivered a youth mini skills workshop that helped build the confidence of our young people through accessing local activities and clubs.
Councillor Douglas Reid, Leader of the Council attended the roadshow at The Robert Burns Academy with Councillor Maureen McKay, Councillor Neill Watts and Linda McAulay-Griffiths, Chief Education Officer and Head of Education.
Councillor Reid said: “I welcomed the opportunity to attend the Youth Action Team roadshow at The Robert Burns Academy and view the workshops that were being led by Vibrant Communities and our partners, including Police Scotland, the NHS, Barnardo’s and Yipworld.
“It is important that we engage with young people from S1 before summer to reinforce safety messages, to also listen to their concerns and respond to issues that are worrying them.
“Peer pressure has a significant impact on our young people. I am sure we can all remember a time when we were ‘encouraged’ to do something by our friends, which is why it is important to have frank and open discussions with our young people. We want them to think about and understand the impact their choices may have on themselves, their futures, their families and the wider community.
“It is also important that we recognise that this isn’t something the Council, Education or Police Scotland can tackle on their own and that we need to work closely with all our Community Planning partners and partner organisations for the benefit of our young people and our communities.”