Young Persons Challenge Fund News
Latest News - March 06
Young People who were successful at the ideas stage attended a workshop in Edinburgh on Sunday 26th March to find out about how they should complete their Project Plans. The YPCF assessment group will use these Project Plans to make their final decision on the projects that will be funded.
The young people also gave presentations about their project ideas. Everyone gave really good presentations and was very enthusiastic about getting their projects started.
Each group voted on each others' project ideas. The results were close, but the results showed that on the day the young people thought that the most interesting ideas were:
- Holly McGinn - Confidential Social Work Emails;
- Liam Hannan - Media Club for Young People;
- Marc Colgan - Online Calendar for Schools;
- Scott Parker & Callum Thomson - Reward Points for Health Activities;
- Lauren Porteus & John Thomson - Community Radio Station
All the groups will now prepare their Project Plans. We hope that the assessment group will make their decisions in May 2006.
Previous News - February 06
All of the Young Persons Challenge Fund ideas have now been assessed by Dialogue Youth workers and the YPCF Sponsor Group members.
The Minister for Finance & Public Service Reform, Tom McCabe, has confirmed that he is satisfied with the results of the assessments. We have now contacted all the applicants and their relevant Dialogue Youth and Enterprise Co-ordinators to inform them of the outcome.
We have asked those who made successful applications to provide us with more information about their ideas, and that this information should be provided in the form of a 'project plan'.
Previous News - August 05
The Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform, Mr Tom McCabe, launched the Young Persons Challenge Fund at West Lothian College on the 25th August 2005.
The launch was very well attended, with some people travelling long distances to be there - especially the Dialogue Youth groups and the young people from the Strathmore Centre.
Though the young people from James Young High School and St Margaret's High School did not have to travel quite so far, it was great that they made an effort to be there.
Young Scot, West Lothian Young Carers, Dialogue Youth and British Association for the Advancement of Science all provided stalls and presentations of their work - it was interesting to learn more about the work they are doing with young people.
During the afternoon delegates heard about how a number of organisations are working with young people throughout Scotland. There were presentations from:
- Heather Simm from Space Unlimited;
- Sandy Smith from the British Association for the Advancement of Science;
- Cara Duncan from the Scottish Parliament;
- Sandra Ewen from Determined to Succeed.
If you would like to know more about the work that these organisations are doing then please contact us at ypcf@scotland.gov.uk and we will be glad to help.
Following the launch, Chris Russell was quick off the mark and presented the Minister with the first idea to the Fund. Chris's idea is about using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to provide local travel information through digital TV.
The closing date for ideas has been extended to 7th November 2005 and at the moment we are busy receiving ideas and enquiries from young people from around the country.
Chris Russell presents Tom McCabe MSP with the first idea to the Young Persons Challenge Fund.
Minister Tom McCabe (centre) is pictured here on the day with pupils from James Young High School and Saint Margaret's High School in front of the Young Scot transmission vehicle.
Also in the picture but unable to submit an idea due to their being beyond 25 years of age(!) are (l to r) Alex Linkston Chief Executive, Graeme Morrice elected leader of West Lothian Council and Joe Thomas, Provost of West Lothian.