The magazine for blind and partially sighted young people in Scotland Clubs and Groups Issue 10 Winter 2015
Explore!
Contents 04 Editorial 06 Anyone can do the Duke of Edinburgh s Award! 10 Young Scot: Providing information and opportunities for young people growing up in Scotland 14 Youth Scotland 20 Tuesday Berry: Scouting for all 24 Did you know? Volunteering and Careers 26 Did you know? The Scottish Youth Parliament 28 Did you know? The list doesn t end there! 32 Contact us
Editorial Hello and welcome to the tenth issue of the Haggazine! 4 facebook.com/haggeye
Editorial Haggazine is going double digits! Welcome to our tenth issue. In this issue we will be exploring some of the ways you can get involved with youth groups and organisations around Scotland. We will hear about the adventures Dave has enjoyed while working towards his Duke of Edinburgh s Awards. One of our editors, Tuesday, will also be talking about her involvement with Scouts. Whatever you do now, are looking for, or discover with us in these pages, we hope this Haggazine is a great taster to the opportunities out there ready for us all. Tuesday, Jill and Matthew haggeye@rnib.org.uk 5
Anyone can do the Duke of Edinburgh s Award! 6 facebook.com/haggeye
The Duke of Edinburgh s Award (DofE) is the world s leading achievement award for young people aged 14 to 24. It inspires, guides and supports your self development and recognises your achievements. Dave Simpson has achieved his DofE Bronze and Gold Awards, despite having Starghardt s Macular Distrophy, a rare genetic condition meaning his eyesight slowly deteriorates. I first began my DofE Bronze Award through the Army Cadet Force, where I learned basic survival techniques, map reading and compass skills, he explains I completed my volunteering section by helping younger cadets, which in turn 0131 652 3140 7
Duke of Edinburgh s Award assisted in boosting my confidence and ability to work with others. It was a struggle due to my disability, but I learnt to adapt and with the help of my leaders and fellow cadets, I got through it. Moray Council s DofE Development Officer worked with Dave on creative solutions, using technology to overcome the challenges of map reading. I went on to do my Gold Award when I was 18, continues Dave Being more mature, I didn t let my disability hold me back and my confidence had increased from doing my Bronze. When I finished I decided to become a leader so I could pass my skills and knowledge on to young people who I work with as a youth worker. 8 facebook.com/haggeye
Duke of Edinburgh s Award 43,000 people are doing their DofE in Scotland right now. 5,000 volunteers like Dave are supporting them. The DofE is run in over 900 places including schools, colleges, universities, youth clubs, businesses and more. Dave finishes: I feel like I personally gained so much from doing my DofE that I want to pass on to others what I ve learnt and hope that the young people that complete DofE gain as much as I did. It just shows you don t need 20/20 vision to do DofE anyone can do it! Find out more and find places to do your DofE at dofe.org/takepart Contact DofE Scotland on 0131 343 0920 or email scotland@dofe.org haggeye@rnib.org.uk 9
Providing information and opportunities for young people growing up in Scotland Young Scot is the national information and citizenship charity for people aged 11 to 25. They can help us all become more confident, informed and active citizens. 10 facebook.com/haggeye
Young Scot The Young Scot Card The Young Scot card is a free, legal form of ID which entitles you to discounts across the country. Save money on your gym membership, go shopping with some great store discounts, enjoy student rates at the cinema or theatre, then save on your food shop or a meal out before going home. 0131 652 3140 11
Young Scot What does Young Scot offer? In addition to the Young Scot card, Young Scot provide lots of easy to read information. Topics include learning, working, wellbeing of your mind and body, your rights, lifestyle, spending and relationships. Young Scot lists activities, opportunities and events going on in your local area, especially for young people. They range from becoming an ambassador of the arts, working in projects to improve the community, development courses to become community leaders in areas like the environment, and much more. All these things are fun to do, can be accessible and great experiences to list on your CV. 12 facebook.com/haggeye
Young Scot How do I connect with Young Scot? Get your Young Scot card, find information, things to do and more. Visit young.scot Phone 0808 801 0338 Email infoline@youngscot.org Download the Young Scot app from itunes or Google Play Find Young Scot on Facebook, Twitter, Instragram and YouTube haggeye@rnib.org.uk 13
Youth Scotland 14 facebook.com/haggeye
0131 652 3140 15
Youth Scotland Youth Scotland is a membership organisation and Scotland s national charity for the support and delivery of community-based youth work. They provide training, resources and opportunities for youth groups to be set up everywhere from large cities to tiny villages. They run a range of projects you can get involved in, including physical activity, leadership and music. Youth Scotland also have an awards scheme recognised by the SQA which let you earn qualifications for the activities you take part in! 16 facebook.com/haggeye
Youth Scotland These awards are: Youth Achievement Awards Aimed at young people aged 14+, the Youth Achievement Awards recognise four levels of responsibility taken by young people participating in activities that interest them. Bronze is about young people taking part, at Silver young people assist and share responsibility with others, at Gold they take individual responsibility to organise, and at Platinum they undertake training and lead. Dynamic Youth Awards Dynamic Youth Awards are peer assessed awards recognising the achievements of young people in the 10+ age group. haggeye@rnib.org.uk 17
Youth Scotland The awards are easy to use and can be included in existing youth work and school programmes. Young people are encouraged to self assess and then peer assess each other s achievements, and can use the awards as an access route to the Youth Achievement Awards. 18 facebook.com/haggeye
Youth Scotland If you want to take on more of a leadership role, Youth Scotland offer training programmes for young people to get you involved in the running and management of projects in your community. To find out what Youth Scotland are up to, and the opportunities available to you, visit youthscotland.org.uk or phone 0131 554 2561. 0131 652 3140 19
Tuesday Berry: Scouting for all I was a bit of a serial hobbyist as a child. I dabbled in everything from dancing to army cadets, but never stuck to one thing for more than 6 months. I am now 23 and have been in Scouts for over a year. Despite being registered blind since birth, I was never very confident at explaining my vision to others. This would usually result in me deciding to stop taking part or for others to become anxious about me taking part. From the time I have spent in Scouts I have not once been told that my sight loss will limit me in any activity. Not that everything always works out of course; I ve capsized kayaks, fallen off mountain boards and got lost in the 20 facebook.com/haggeye
Scouting for all haggeye@rnib.org.uk 21
Scouting for all woods at night. But that s all part of the fun! I have found my own strengths because I have been allowed to test them myself. To some it may not seem like much, but getting to paddle a canoe on your own and lighting a fire without someone hovering over you with a fire extinguisher is a big deal. I am also getting to work towards my Gold Duke of Edinburgh s Award and Queen s Scout Award the highest youth award in Scouting. While earning these I get to try new activities and take on new challenges. This has included becoming a Leader at my local scout group where I have loved being able to pass on skills to younger Scouts. 22 facebook.com/haggeye
Scouting for all A lot of people think Scouting is only for boys or that we only sit around campfires but I have learned it is so much more and cannot wait for my next adventure! Young people aged 6 to 24 can join Scouts and those over 18 can also become leaders. Visit scouts.scot for more information. 0131 652 3140 23
Did you know? Volunteering and Careers The fun and opportunities from youth activities do not have to end with taking part. Most youth clubs and organisations could not exist without the work of young volunteers. Young volunteers like Tuesday and Dave, who have taken part in, and now volunteer for, Scouts and Duke of Edinburgh s Award respectively. Volunteering in a youth group is great experience for your CV and could even lead towards a great career in this sector, like Dave s as a youth worker now. For more information about employability see our last issue of Haggazine. 24 facebook.com/haggeye
Did you know? Maybe you know somewhere you could volunteer? For more ideas check out projectscotland.co.uk and volunteerscotland.net where you can also find your local volunteer centre. haggeye@rnib.org.uk 25
Did you know? The Scottish Youth Parliament SYP is the democratically elected voice of Scotland s young people. Their vision is of a stronger, more inclusive Scotland that empowers young people by truly involving them in the decision making process. They are committed to ensuring young people are heard by the decision-makers of Scotland, the UK, and Europe, and they campaign on the issues which matter most to Scotland s young people. They do this through Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs), who are elected young people aged 14-25, representing constituencies and national voluntary organisations from across Scotland. In March 2015, the Scottish Youth Parliament held elections across all 32 Local Authorities. 26 facebook.com/haggeye
Did you know? Over a two week election period a total of 70,000 young people voted enough to fill Scotland s biggest stadium Murrayfield electing 142 MSYPs. These new MSYPs will now represent Scotland s young people until 2017, over one of the most fascinating times to be involved in political life in Scotland. For more information about the Scottish Youth Parliament email hello@syp.org.uk or call 0131 557 0452 0131 652 3140 27
Did you know? The list doesn t end there! We have only covered a small number of the youth groups and organisations you can get involved in. You can get in touch with your local council to find out about clubs, groups and hubs in your area. There are lots of opportunities to get out there and get involved in something you are passionate about. Whatever your interest is chess, farming, the arts there is something for you! 28 facebook.com/haggeye
Did you know? We ve also listed a few other organisations below that can offer information, advice and support: YouthLink Scotland is the national agency for youth work. It is a membership organisation and is in the unique position of representing the interests and aspirations of the whole of the sector both voluntary and statutory. haggeye@rnib.org.uk 29
Did you know? YouthLink Scotland champions the role and value of the youth work sector, challenging government at national and local levels to invest in the development of the sector. Tel: 0131 313 2488 Email: info@youthlinkscotland.org Web: youthlinkscotland.org Children in Scotland is the uniting voice for the children s sector in Scotland. Its vision is to make Scotland a world leader in achieving the wellbeing of every child and improving the quality of every childhood. Tel: 0131 313 2322 Email: info@childreninscotland.org.uk Web: childreninscotland.org.uk 30 facebook.com/haggeye
Did you know? Children and Young People s Commissioner Scotland The Children and Young People s Commissioner is a person. Their job is to help you understand your rights and to make sure those rights are respected. Rights exist to help you live a happy life. They keep you safe and make sure you are treated fairly and cared for properly. The current Commissioner is called Tam Baillie. He looks after the rights of everyone in Scotland under 18, and also everyone in Scotland under 21 who has been looked after or in care. Young People s Freephone: 0800 019 1179 Office number: 0131 346 5350 Web: cypcs.org.uk Facebook: cypcs Twitter: @cypcs 0131 652 3140 31
The forum for blind and partially sighted young people in Scotland This magazine has been created, developed and written by young people from the Haggeye project and produced by RNIB. Contact us facebook.com/haggeye haggeye@rnib.org.uk 0131 652 3140 December 2015 Action for Blind People registered charity number SC040050 RNIB registered charity number SC039316 Photos: page 6 Duke of Edinburgh's Award page 14, 15, 18 Youth Scotland