Moray care ‘Young Champions’ pick up Saltire Awards

THE ELGIN YOUTH CAFÉ was packed out when the Moray Community Planning Partnership launched the ‘local champions’ board’ at the venue.

Senior officers are being provided with a chance to listen and work alongside care-experienced young people, learning and improving on their care experiences.

Chair of the children and young people’s services committee, Councillor Tim Eagle, presented a number of Saltire Certificates to core young people who volunteered their time since 2016 in developing priority themes.

In total 14 were issued recognising 580 hours of input, prompting Councillor Eagle to say: “Personally, I am very impressed by the young people.It is encouraging that they share their experiences and needs. We will only know how to do things better if they share this.”

Laurence Findlay, the council’s director of education and social care, added: “It was great to see so many people attending the first champions’ board and engaging in such powerful conversations with our young champions.

“The young people displayed such confidence and commitment and as corporate parents, we should all be very proud of them.

“Everyone left with the feel good factor and the hard work starts now in terms of turning some of our aspirations into realities for our care experienced young people.”

The partnership was successful in obtaining funding from the Life Changes Trust for three years to progress the themes and an officer hosted by Who Cares? Scotland has been appointed to support the young people.