Shetland Islands Council
Activity Agreements are programmes of tailored learning and activity which support young people furthest from the labour market to prepare for formal learning, training and employment. They are delivered through local authority partnerships across all 32 local authority areas in Scotland. Those involved in the planning and delivery of Activity Agreements recognise the benefits of volunteering for both the individual involved and the community and strive to offer meaningful volunteering opportunities for young people traditionally less likely to volunteer. Through these opportunities young people across Scotland are developing essential employability and core skills and gaining experience of the world of work.
- Shetland Islands Council pledges to continue to promote and increase awareness of the benefits of volunteering among 16-19 year olds participating in or progressing from an Activity Agreement.
Through Opportunities for All, in Shetland we make sure that young people have the opportunity to volunteer on a regular basis. Our main volunteering project this year has been out at Michaelswood, in the West Mainland of Shetland.
From March, young people on Activity Agreements have visited the woodland every week to volunteer. They have taken part in a number of different tasks such as planting trees and shrubs, painting, weeding and any general woodland tasks. Michaelswood secured funding for a dinosaur trail so the young people and Support workers at The Bridges Project have worked alongside the owners to build the trail.
They have been able to learn new skills, increase their volunteer hours, involve themselves in the local community and build on their self confidence and esteem.
These volunteer hours go towards their Saltire Award, showing recognition for all of the hard work they have done and all that they have achieved.
Quote from Charlotte Hill, CEO at Step Up To Serve
“The #iwill campaign is driven by leaders from across society who are committed to making youth social action a normal part of growing up in the UK.
We know that young people want to play an active part in improving their communities, and that in doing so, they develop their own skills for work and life. Over 350 cross-sector organisations so far have pledged to support youth social action, and say #iwill. What will you do?”
