Live Argyll Community Learning Youth Team
Argyll and Bute Council · 1 November 2023
Back to Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands Area Community Planning Group — 1 November 2023 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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LiveArgyll Community Learning Team Kintyre and Lochgilphead Youth Work Autumn Update 2023 Lochgilphead Two groups have started within the school, the first group are young women who struggle to engage in regular school activities and the second group are a group of young women with high anxiety who also struggle to attend classes. We have had three sessions together where we have established expectations and explored our worries, hopes and dreams for the future. We were also visited by the Matt our local community police officer who answered some of the questions young people had identified about drugs, alcohol and online safety. Moving forward the students have identified areas of interest such as leading PE activities for young children, getting fit and creating art. We will combine this work with a Hi5 award. Youth worker has also been engaging with Inverary Community Council identifying the need for Community Learning to help some of the young people who live there with afterschool activities. This was identified during a recent community consultation on how to improve the town for local people and families. Kintyre Youth Action Group The Kintyre LiveArgyll Youth Work Service facilitates weekly meetings with the Kintyre Youth Action Group (based in Campbeltown and Tarbert). The Action Group carry out local community projects and regularly volunteer and represent young people’s views in the area by carrying out weekly meetings which involve regular focus groups and large scale youth consultations on a two yearly basis. The input from the Action Group ensures the local youth work service is entirely youth led by focussing on local youth views, issues and areas the young people would like to develop. The Action Group have scheduled a coffee morning fundraiser for their projects and activities over the October break. Action Group members will hopefully be in attendance and provide a verbal update on their activities/focuses during the meeting.
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Kintyre Youth Creative Writing Group The Kintyre Youth Writing group is a youth led writing group based in Campbeltown. The group were supported to learn about different writing styles and techniques and to create their own pieces of creative writing throughout 2023. They have created micro-fiction, poetry, and short stories in different genres since they began. Through this experience the group have noted improvements in their communication and team work skills, as well as feeling more confident. They feel creative expression has helped to support their mental wellbeing and intend to continue writing more frequently as they move forward. At the time of writing the group are planning a literary trip to Edinburgh as a celebration of their positive experience where they will do the Harry Potter Walking Tour, as well as other activities. Kintyre Youth Music Group The Kintyre Youth Music Group is another youth led project which supported young people from the Kintyre area to learn about general musicianship, song-writing, music recording and production. The group learned about different genres of music and were given some instruction on playing instruments including ukulele, guitar, keyboard and percussion instruments, before writing and creating their own musical pieces using music production software. These have since been shared online. The group then switched their focus to writing a collective piece from scratch. The group successfully wrote and recorded their own piece together which has been released online as a charity single to raise money for the Mairi Semple Cancer Fund. At the time of writing the song has had well over 400 views and has so far managed to raise £125 for the cause. The group is now currently working on more individual pieces as well as another collective piece. Campbeltown Grammar School – Learning Support Employability Group At the end of October, we will once again be delivering an employability support programme for learning support students in Campbeltown Grammar in partnership with colleagues from Skills Development Scotland. This programme was trialled in Autumn 2022 and proved very useful to the pupils. The programme takes a youth work approach to engaging young people in activities which identify their existing employability related skills to build their confidence and provide them with advice and direction in taking their next steps after school to enhance their opportunities. Participants will also have the opportunity to complete wider achievement awards for their work should they wish.
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Kintyre Youth Inclusion Group Another youth led project that has recently started is the Kintyre Youth Inclusion Group. This is a new forum for young people in S1 to S6, or aged 12 - 18 years old. The aim is for this to be a safe space where young people can be themselves, learn about and celebrate diversity and inclusion, whilst organising local projects and events to support young people in minority groups, make new friends, and have fun. The group are currently working on planning their own youth focussed Pride event for Pride History Month in February. Upcoming Youth Projects before the Next CPP Meeting Youth Film-Making Project (will be confirmed once funding is in place) Other projects – to be determined by the Action Group and other local young people in response to youth views and issues.