Official Report 1117KB pdf
We will move to the next item of business. I ask our guests who are leaving the public gallery to do so quickly and quietly—thank you very much for your co-operation.
The next item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-14645, in the name of Christine Grahame, on 25 years of Tweeddale Youth Action. The debate will be concluded without any question being put. I invite members who wish to speak in the debate to press their request-to-speak buttons.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament congratulates Tweeddale Youth Action (TYA) on celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2024; notes that TYA, based in Peebles, provides a range of services to local young people, in addition to youth club drop-ins, excursions and holiday programmes, and also running the innovative Food Punks and Bike Punks initiatives; understands that Food Punks, a catering enterprise providing training to young people, has recently secured its first permanent premises on Peebles High Street, where it hopes to open a pizza shop, which will provide further hospitality training and employment opportunities for young people; further understands that Bike Punks also continues to go from strength to strength, with a workshop based in Innerleithen, tying in to the strong mountain biking presence in the area, which provides training on welding and repairing bicycles; believes that TYA has shown a genuinely innovative approach to improving the lives of local young people over its 25 years, which would not have been possible without the continuing hard work of the team of dedicated TYA staff, volunteers and trustees; wishes everyone involved the very best for the future, and recognises the contribution of youth work across Scotland in improving outcomes for young people.
12:48
I thank all members who signed my motion, which allowed the debate to proceed.
We all know that young people inhabit an increasingly complex world and that Covid lockdowns have had a profound effect on their growth and development, as well as on their hopes and fears for the future. Ever easier access to drugs and alcohol has led to increased experimentation, which is starting at younger and younger ages. As that is coupled with often unrestricted access to the internet and the pressures of social media, youth wellbeing is probably at an all-time low.
As the world around us becomes more polarised, young people need safe spaces to socialise, meet new people and hear new perspectives to challenge and be challenged on their views and behaviour. That is where youth work can be a powerful force for good in the lives of our young people and communities.
One such youth work organisation, Tweeddale Youth Action—which I will call TYA—has just celebrated 25 years of working with Tweeddale’s young people. Through its committed talented staff team, led by localities manager Dave Hodson, the organisation delivers a fantastic range of youth work services and opportunities for young people in Peebles, Innerleithen and the surrounding areas.
Its activities include drop-ins, which provide casual and commitment-free access to young people and give them the confidence to come in to see what TYA is all about. The drop-ins, which are held on Mondays and Thursdays in Innerleithen and on Wednesdays and Fridays in Peebles, are crucial in beginning to build those essential trusting relationships, which, for some young people, might be the only positive adult relationships that they experience. A variety of activities are on offer, including the usual—table tennis and pool—as well as access to free food at the youth club, which continues to be important to young people who attend. Many of our young people are hungry and, for some, TYA helps to fill a poverty gap, particularly during school holidays.
There is the bike punks project. TYA continues to develop its facilities at Innerleithen, with the workshop being put to great use to provide learning opportunities to weld and repair bicycles under the bike punks brand. With Innerleithen being a centre of excellence in the mountain biking industry, the project continues to grow. That is definitely an area where TYA wants to expand in the future in order to teach skills that local employers need and value, particularly as the Tweed valley becomes increasingly well known for cycling.
We move on to more punks—food punks. There have been exciting developments in Peebles, where the food punks project, led by Stuart Clink, has opened a fast-food pizza shop on the High Street. The project pizza training academy and pizzeria is an ambitious and challenging project that is not without risk, but TYA feels that the rewards are justified to allow young people to develop skills that can be used in the hospitality industry through exposure to real-life catering, real people and real business, because nothing beats learning on the job. In a supportive environment, the experience helps the young people who are involved to achieve and exceed their goals. In time, it is hoped that the skills that are learned in the shop will lead to formal qualifications for all those who are being trained by the talented food punks team.
The shop on Peebles High Street comes after years of the food punks project delivering a wide array of outside and event catering, with different food offerings and very little repetition. In itself, that has been great, but it did not allow for the repetition that helps to consolidate young people’s skills. Project pizza has helped to narrow the focus and, more importantly, it has provided a platform to teach and help young people to refine their skills.
TYA takes young people out and about—making friends, strengthening existing friendships, breaking down barriers and being open to new ideas and experiences, which can make a huge difference to a young person’s outlook. Through TYA’s Easter, summer and Christmas holiday programmes and trips away, the staff continue to see increased confidence, self-esteem and aspirations among the young people, as well as reduced anxiety, loneliness and isolation. That is just as a result of going on trips, including to theme parks, beaches, art galleries and museums, city trips to Edinburgh and Glasgow and attending the Youth Beatz music festival.
It is not rocket science; it is hands-on and practical. It is about belonging, having an identity and seeing that there is reason to be optimistic and hopeful for the future. If young people do not get that through positive experience, they might find it through other means that are not good for them.
The Borders-wide stepping stones project is another example. TYA continues to provide one-to-one support through that very successful programme, which targets individuals who require additional help to achieve their full potential. It is a partnership youth work project with YouthBorders that is aimed at improving the emotional wellbeing and life chances of young people aged 10 to 18. The project works alongside schools, social work and other youth and community-based organisations to ensure that support is focused on those who need it most.
Comments from young people who have taken part in stepping stones show that it increased their ability to express their point of view with other people, that they know where to go to access trusted information to make informed choices, that their confidence increased and that they consider the potential risks before making choices about where to go and what to do.
All that is done by TYA under the guidance and presence of the excellent Dave Hodson. I say to Dave and the team, well done, and I look forward to visiting you soon—I think that it is in my diary for 13 December.
While I am on my feet, I suggest to the minister that he visits some of the projects that I have mentioned, because they are just good.
12:54
I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate and I congratulate Christine Grahame on securing it. Ms Grahame has highlighted really well the challenges that our young people face in Scotland today. I, too, pay tribute to Tweeddale Youth Action on its recent 25th anniversary and for its work and the support that it provides to young people across the Tweeddale area.
Tweeddale Youth Action gives young people a safe space and an alternative to hanging out at bus stops and on street corners. Through providing free opportunities for all, it helps young people to develop skills, grow in confidence, make smart choices, take responsibility and, ultimately, feel that sense of belonging in the community that we all need to feel.
I was particularly interested to read that the charity has converted an empty Peebles High Street shop into a new food punks pizza facility, as Christine Grahame described. As members might know, I have raised the fact that action needs to be taken on vacant, abandoned and derelict buildings, so it is good that that empty shop has been converted.
As well as Tweeddale Youth Action, a number of other organisations carry out similar work in other parts of the country, including in Dumfries and Galloway in my South Scotland region. Dumfries and Galloway Council’s youth work service is an integral part of the council’s education, skills and community wellbeing directorate, and it operates under five overarching principles and priorities: community-based youth work; youth work in schools; youth democracy and participation; wider achievement and accreditation; and support to and collaboration with the third sector.
Dumfries and Galloway Council’s youth work service works with young people aged 12 to 25 to provide a range of universal and targeted youth work opportunities for young people across Dumfries and Galloway to get involved. The team, whom I have met on a number of occasions, delivers a range of projects, programmes and services across our region to broaden young people’s horizons and to aid their personal and social development, to name but a few of its aims.
Among the awards and achievements that the team offers are the John Muir award; the saltire award; the Hi5, dynamic youth and youth achievement awards, which are Youth Scotland awards; the heritage hero award; the participative democracy certificate; and the Duke of Edinburgh’s award. I know how valuable those awards can be for the young people who take part in the relevant schemes.
Dumfries and Galloway Council’s youth work service ran the 10,000 voices in action project, which aimed to give young people a direct voice. That led to the publication of the “10,000 Voices” report. The 10,000 voices in action project focused on enabling young people to use their voices to have autonomy over their own funding and to decide who should receive that funding. The youth action groups, who are made up of young people from every area of Dumfries and Galloway, will come together virtually to explore the issues in their community and how they want those issues to be solved.
Of the 14 questions that were asked, the highest-scoring responses across the region were in relation to young people feeling safe in their community, their being able to regularly experience good-quality natural spaces and their feeling that they could easily walk and cycle around their local area. Interestingly, the report also showed that many young people wished to stay in the region but were concerned that no employment opportunities would be available. I know that work is being done to resolve that.
I invite the minister to consider coming to Dumfries and Galloway to meet the young people and the team in the youth work service. I again welcome Christine Grahame’s debate and all the work that is under way to support our young people in Scotland. I look forward to attending this evening’s youth awards ceremony in Dumfries at Easterbrook hall.
12:58
I congratulate Christine Grahame on bringing the debate to Parliament. Ms Grahame and I seem to be appearing on stage and on screen as a regular duo at the moment. I am not sure whether we are Romeo and Juliet or Hinge and Bracket—I will leave that to others to determine.
Like Christine Grahame, I have recently visited Tweeddale Youth Action to learn more about its important work. A few years ago, I went with one of my council colleagues to see the youth drop-in centre in action. Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of popping into the new food punks pizza parlour in Peebles High Street to meet Stuart Clink and Dave Hodson, whose commitment is invaluable. In a sense, they have become like rock stars in their own community. As Stuart said—Christine Grahame alluded to this—some of the young people have not had meaningful and constructive contact with adults, and it was great to see that work to provide such contact in action.
The premises have a really cool and smart interior for a younger generation, but I encourage anyone who is visiting Peebles or who lives in the Peebles or Tweeddale area to visit food punks, which has a fantastic meal deal offer and uses high-quality ingredients. However, it is not just about appearances: the whole shop is a safe, inspiring and creative environment where young people can express themselves, ask questions, be themselves and learn in a welcoming and friendly environment.
Through food punks, young people from across Peebles receive an invaluable kind of mentoring that they may not have found in a traditional learning environment. Stuart and Dave are clear that that is an alternative route for children who may have been failed by other routes or traditional methodologies. They provide real-world hands-on experiences that will be transformative for many of the young people and allow them to develop skills that can be taken around the United Kingdom and might take some of them around the world.
We should learn from such projects, because they shine a light on how, for a relatively small number of people, life could be very difficult if they relied only on traditional educational pathways. That sort of practical learning is exactly what some young people need to thrive. It provides opportunities to gain confidence by engaging with the public, to acquire important practical skills and—as Stuart and Dave recognise—to become part of a team, which may be something that they have not experienced before.
Hospitality is a hugely rewarding industry but is not celebrated enough. There are different pathways into hospitality. It is important to recognise that the food punks model could be a unique and fulfilling route for young people who might otherwise go in a different direction and that it can allow them to start out on a rewarding and potentially long-term career. The Scottish Government and other Governments should look to fund such models, because it is clear that, when a young person is failed and goes on to pursue a less wholesome route, that comes at huge cost for society, the individual and their friends and family. Spending £10 today can lead to many hundreds of pounds being saved at another point.
I am a huge advocate of that type of education, and I encourage the minister to visit not only food punks but some of the other projects around the country—[Interruption.] The minister says that he has been already, which is good to hear. In East Lothian, we have the Ridge project in Dunbar, which teaches young people vitally important stonemasonry skills, and the Bridge centre in Haddington, where young people learn through programmes such as the motorcycle project. Those are all alternatives to traditional learning and skills environments but are no less important or impactful for being so.
I have asked the Parliament catering team whether food punks could use the members’ restaurant to showcase their skills one evening. I have noticed that the catering schools from some of Scotland’s colleges have recently been afforded that honour and privilege, but it would also be an honour and privilege for members to see food punks in action and to enjoy their food.
I thank Christine Grahame for bringing this important debate to the chamber and for giving us the opportunity to shine a spotlight on the great work done by TYA. I wish everyone involved well as TYA reaches its 25th birthday milestone, and I wish them many more years of success in delivering for the community in Tweeddale.
13:03
I, too, begin by thanking and congratulating Christine Grahame on securing this important debate and by wishing TYA a happy 25th birthday.
It is important that, in this chamber and more broadly in the country, we recognise the importance of youth work. Craig Hoy clearly expressed how the formality and structure of formal education is not right for some young people. The advantage of youth work is that it allows young people the opportunity to develop key life skills, build confidence and engage meaningfully with their communities and that they do so voluntarily. The TYA shows why all that is significant.
When youth work addresses young people’s social, emotional and educational needs, it empowers them to overcome the barriers that they face. It unlocks their potential and enables them to thrive in their personal and professional lives as they grow up. However, despite the importance of youth work services, their availability across Scotland is inconsistent, and many young people, particularly in rural and economically deprived areas, face significant barriers to access.
That point allows me to mention my proposed youth work (Scotland) bill, the consultation for which was launched on Monday. It also allows me to put on the record my formal apologies to the next speaker, Ben Macpherson, as the launch took place at the Citadel Youth Centre in his constituency, where I was thrashed at pool by a brilliant player, but more of that at another time. The purpose of my bill is to establish a youth work strategy, a youth work fund, professional development, collaboration and integration, and national standards and evaluation.
As we have heard, youth work is not just an ethical imperative. There is also a financial reason to do it. The short-term impact is simple: it reduces the need for costly crisis services and interventions and it improves young people’s mental health, wellbeing and resilience. The medium-term impact is enhanced educational attainment and social inclusion, which alleviates the pressures on public services that we are only too well aware of. Most important, young people who can engage with successful youth work and with skilled youth workers on a long-term basis are equipped with the confidence and skills to contribute back to Scotland’s economy and society, which reduces unemployment, inequality and reliance on welfare support.
However, my proposed bill is more than just a legislative proposal. It is a bold vision for a fairer and more inclusive Scotland. By ensuring that youth work is accessible, equitable and sustainable, the bill seeks to empower young people to reach their full potential and it will strengthen the fabric of our communities across the nation. The bill’s provisions could be transformative because they are built on youth work, which is itself transformative. The opportunity to build stronger, more resilient communities must be one that we can all get behind, and it is through our young people that we can see that happen. We have heard some excellent examples of that in the debate.
In Tweeddale Youth Action, we see so many brilliant ideas that are capable of being rolled out across Scotland to benefit each community and each young person. A skilled youth worker engages with a young person at their level. That is very important and we should recognise it. I congratulate Christine Grahame once again because, in this debate, that is exactly what we are doing.
13:07
I, too, begin by paying tribute to Christine Grahame for bringing this important issue to the chamber, and I send my congratulations to Tweeddale Youth Action. I am grateful that the motion talks about the range of services that youth work provides—the diverse initiatives, the employment opportunities and the training that is available—and the fact that the organisations that provide all of that are often led by volunteers, although they also have dedicated staff and trustees who play such an important role. I am also grateful that the motion recognises the contribution that youth work makes across Scotland in improving outcomes for young people, and that is what I want to speak to.
First, we have the organisations that are involved all across the country, such as the scouts, the girl guides, the Boys Brigade and the YMCA. Those are all having an impact in my constituency at a local level through the different groups across Edinburgh Northern and Leith. However, as the motion emphasises, and as others have highlighted, there are also a number of specific organisations that are based in or operate in our constituencies—or, often, both—and I want to raise awareness about and commend some of the groups in my constituency.
The Citadel Youth Centre, which is run by Willie and Ryan and the rest of the team, has been making a huge difference to the communities of Leith for many years by providing a range of services, collaborations and support. I note the difference that Bryan made at Pilmeny Youth Centre, and I also mention Robbie at Street Soccer Scotland and its collaborations with organisations such as Leith Athletic Football Club and Hibernian Community Foundation, which also make a big difference in themselves.
Venture Scotland, which is based in Edinburgh Northern and Leith but provides services to a range of young people across the east of Scotland, takes people to places in rural Scotland where they would otherwise not necessarily go—including the Borders—to see the beauty of those areas and experience things that they would not otherwise be able to engage in.
Many will be aware of the Spartans Community Foundation in north Edinburgh, which has an innovative and pioneering football club that uses more than just the power of football to make a huge difference in Edinburgh’s most deprived communities. For decades, Kenny and his team have been making a substantial impact.
The Granton Youth centre, Civil Service Strollers FC and a range of other organisations in north Edinburgh are engaged across the board in opportunities for young people.
Last but not least, I want to raise awareness of a small organisation in north Edinburgh. It was previously called FACENorth, and is now called Midnight and Beyond. The difference that it makes is symbolic of the intervention that youth work can provide: positive benefits for the youngsters who are involved, with a wider impact on society, community and the public purse.
People are well aware of the youth crime issues that we face in Edinburgh. They are serious and should be further up the agenda. I have already spoken about that in the chamber, and will say more in the period ahead. People are also aware of the issues that that has created in the east of Edinburgh, particularly around bonfire night—those have been well documented. A number of years ago, we in north Edinburgh faced very similar issues to those that have been happening in the east. However, Midnight and Beyond has been working for two years with the groups of young people who were previously involved in fireworks night issues in north Edinburgh—and, for two years, because of that engagement, investment and support, we have not seen the same issues in north Edinburgh that we see in east Edinburgh on bonfire night. That is because of the collaboration between youth work organisations—in particular, Midnight and Beyond, but others as well—and the council and Police Scotland.
I end on that point, because it gets to the heart of what we celebrate and emphasise today. With minimal investment in youth work services, we can make a transformative difference for the people who benefit from them, and we can reduce negative consequences in the community and the cost to the public purse by making that worthy investment.
I know that we will hear from the minister in a minute about how the Scottish Government has invested significantly in youth work. However, if there is more that we can do, particularly in areas where there is challenge, we should think about the difference that we can make.
13:13
I thank Christine Grahame for lodging the motion to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Tweeddale Youth Action.
I also take this opportunity to recognise and highlight the youth work sector as a whole. We know that front-line youth work positively impacts a young person’s self-esteem and confidence and helps to improve their physical and mental wellbeing. Youth work does that by enabling young people to access non-formal education activities that enable them to learn about themselves, others and society. For that, I offer huge thanks to Tweeddale Youth Action, and I am delighted to congratulate it on celebrating 25 years of youth work and on the positive difference that it has made to many young people over that time.
That is a truly significant milestone to reach. Being able to sustain and evolve an offering to young people, with all the challenges that that can present in attracting and retaining volunteers, is quite something, and we should take the opportunity that Christine Grahame has handed us to acknowledge that.
I note the invitations that were issued by members to visit specific projects that they noted. I will give those invitations consideration, albeit that, if I were to take up them all, I suspect that I would need to clone myself—and, as I am sure colleagues will agree, one of me is more than enough.
The Scottish Government values youth work as an essential and invaluable part of our education system. It helps young people to learn about themselves, others and society through enjoyable and challenging activities. However, more than that, it plays an important role in creating equity and supporting young people to reach their full potential. Craig Hoy alluded to that.
As the Scottish Government prepares to announce its budget next week, will the minister do everything that he can to encourage other ministers to maintain local authority funding? Many councils fund such organisations, and youth work and these projects are being put at risk by the resource issues that councils increasingly face.
I will not get into the budget, which will be announced next week, and nor will I stray into the territory of other portfolios. However, with regard to the projects that my budget funds, I am particularly keen to ensure that the money that we put into this work—we do quite a lot in that space—is directed to front-line delivery, because I have seen the positive benefits for myself.
It is important that we reflect on Tweeddale Youth Action’s values. For example, it is important to TYA that, with regard to its projects,
“all young people can take part and belong, regardless of their financial situation”,
because that will help them to achieve their full potential, regardless of the background they come from.
As I have noted, TYA’s success over the past 25 years is no small feat. It has achieved great things, and I am sure that it will continue to do that. Christine Grahame noted a number of its initiatives. What they have in common is that they all improve outcomes for young people. None of that is possible without the dedicated staff, volunteers and trustees, who give up their time to ensure that young people are supported through the many youth groups and activities that TYA provides. They do fantastic and invaluable work, and I extend my sincere thanks to each and every one of them for the support that they provide to young people and the role that they play. Their contribution cannot be overstated.
It is right that we celebrate their and TYA’s achievements in improving the lives of many local young people over a sustained period. Not least, I mention their contribution to ensuring that young people have opportunities to thrive and, ultimately, reach their potential to succeed. TYA’s mission is to
“support young people ... on their journey from childhood to adulthood.”
It states:
“Through providing free opportunities for all, we help young people to develop skills, grow in confidence, make smart choices, take responsibility and, ultimately, feel that sense of belonging within their community that we all need.”
Those are TYA’s words, not mine, but I whole-heartedly share and support those aims. The testimonials that Christine Grahame highlighted indicate that TYA is succeeding in its ambitions.
Looking to the future can often be daunting for young people. Each person’s journey in the world of work is unique—there is no wrong path. Apprenticeships, college, university, volunteering and employment are all valid options, and I am determined that we continue to offer a range of opportunities for young people. As such, we want young people to make confident and informed decisions about their future, and I am sure that the initiatives offered by TYA have supported young people in that endeavour. The food punks and bike punks initiatives are excellent examples of that happening in practice.
Having made a number of visits to projects that are funded by the Scottish Government and others, I believe that third sector organisations play a critical role by using their expertise to address the issues that young people face and to support individuals who have been failed by the traditional education offering to find a way forward.
Since April 2016, the children, young people and families early intervention and adult learning and empowering communities fund has provided more than £14 million of annual funding to more than 100 third sector organisations across Scotland, as well as non-financial support. We are determined that Scotland’s young people who are furthest from inclusion will realise their full potential in learning, life and work.
What has come out of the debate is how essential youth work is in helping children who might take the wrong route in life and, if we are being honest about it, the fact that it is not just individual young people who benefit but society. May I ask that youth work is made a priority across the education, health and justice portfolios? I say that because the issue is relevant to all those portfolios and, as well as creating positive lives for young people, so much could be saved in those portfolios. I want youth work to be higher on the Cabinet’s agenda.
I do not sit in the Cabinet, and I cannot speak for it, but I say to Christine Grahame that, a few months ago, the First Minister and I visited an exciting project in Glasgow, and we looked at the broader range of activities that were taking place in that area. I know that the First Minister was very—
Minister, please direct your comments to the microphone.
I apologise.
The First Minister, as I was, was very impressed with the impact that that project is having, so the issue is certainly on the First Minister’s radar.
As I said, we are determined that Scotland’s young people who are furthest from inclusion will realise their enormous potential. As we move forward, we intend to work with various stakeholders, including young people, in our endeavours. The independent review of community learning and development can underpin our aspirations in that regard. Our aim is to improve outcomes for young people by ensuring a stronger, better-connected system that promotes equality and equity. Equally important is raising the voices of young people, and I expect that the review will help us to provide a new framework that champions their voices and lived experience.
I thank Christine Grahame for allowing us to explore the great work that Tweeddale Youth Action is doing to improve outcomes for and the lives of the young people with whom it interacts, for her eloquent highlighting of that, and for the opportunity to explore the broader impacts of wider youth work. I wish TYA and the young people with whom it has engaged and continues to engage the very best for the future.
13:21 Meeting suspended.