SYP Weekly Update 149
8th July 2010
Find out more about what's happening in the SYP in our weekly updates, click on the section title to take you to more information for each of the articles...
List
Events
- We officially announce ‘Picture the Change’ open!
- ‘Picture the Change’ road show kicks off in Dundee
- Summer starts with a sitting…
- SYP nominated for Scottish Event Awards!
- LGBT Homelessness Debate
General
- No Knives, Better Lives
- Board gets their induction
- SYP 3 Year Strategic Plan
- Events - Sign up now!
- Procedures Group - Sign up now!
- Farewell Marie, hello John-Paul!
NOTE: Some of the opportunities mentioned in the Weekly Update may apply only to Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs). Please email francesca.l@syp.org.uk for guidance.
We officially announce ‘Picture the Change’ open!
Singer/Songwriter Amy Macdonald became the first person to tag our consultation installation, as she launched Picture the Change outside the Scottish Parliament with Chair Derek Couper, Vice Chair, David Leitch MSYP and our newly elected board members.
Amy said: “It is important that young people get their chance to influence Scotland’s politicians, and the creation of a Manifesto by the Scottish Youth Parliament provides that chance. I am happy to help, and urge young people to get involved and have their voice heard in this positive way.”
We’ve even had a little coverage in the media, so far:
The Herald
The Sun
Not to mention on radio ForthOne and Clyde too!
You should have received an email late last week containing details on how to download your manifesto pack to get you started on the consultation path. You’ll also be receiving a hard copy very soon too, so keep an eye out for it coming through.
If you’ve not checked out our new website for ‘Picture the Change’ get yourself over there ASAP to have a neb and see what the latest chat is from the consultation crew. http://www.picturethechange.org/
And please don’t forget to send us your pictures of you out consulting; we want a smorgasbord of ‘Picture the Change’ pictures. Ooowee a bit of tongue twister!
As an incentive the MSYP with the most number of responses will WINSHOES FOR A YEAR! Courtesy of http://www.schuh.co.uk/. Just think of the many, many shoes you could have… red ones, blue ones, white ones, pink ones ……Stop dreaming it’s a reality, one hard working MSYP will win the free shoes for a year, but who will it be? Let the games commence!
Additional resources such as survey sheets, presentations and posters are availible by clicking here.
‘Picture the Change’ road show kicks off in Dundee
SYP recently travelled to Dundee, finding itself in the company of around 50 young trade unionists at the STUC’s annual youth conference. Amongst the discussion and debate, we found time to introduce conference delegates to our ‘Picture the Change’ manifesto consultation and speak about the organisation we all know and love.
We also attended the Tents in the Park day festival in Perth with the full ‘Picture the Change’ installation to a crowd of hundreds! This is just the beginning of our summer long road show which will see us travelling up north to The Highlands for The Belladrum Festival, and down south a little to The Young Carers Festival in West Linton, plus many, many more events!
To see if we’re coming to a town near you click here for our itinerary.
Or if you’re going to any big events maybe you could do some consulting for SYP? All you need is a few surveys and a little bit of time to speak to people. Remember the race for the freebie shoes is on, so if you haven’t already received your survey sheets, or you already need some more just click here.
Summer starts with a Sitting…
With the ‘Picture the Change’ consultation for our next Youth Manifesto it looks set to be a long hot summer of SYP action. It kicked off with our June Sitting and AGM in Livingston, where MSYPs decided the 50 statements that make up ‘Picture the Change’ as well as electing a new Board and Subject Committee Conveners for the exciting year ahead...
To read the full sitting report click here!
SYP nominated for Scottish Event Awards!
Those of you that were at last year’s June Sitting in Edinburgh will remember it was quite an event, with the Choosing’s Scotland’s Future – Where Do We Go From Here debate, the Green Mile March and the SYP’s 10th Anniversary celebrations.
Well, it’s not just MSYPs that appreciated how good it was, as we got the news this week that it’s been nominated for two Scottish Event Awards!
The Sitting has been nominated in the ‘Best Small Event’ and ‘Best Educational Event’ categories and is a tribute to how hard MSYPs and staff worked on it! We’re very excited to find out whether we’ve won, and are counting down the days until the ceremony on the 9th September!
To see who else was nominated and find out more about the Awards click here. Or if you want to relive the magic of last year’s June Sitting click here.
LGBT Homelessness Debate
Have you ever had issues with housing? Felt unsafe in your tenancy? LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing in Edinburgh have a panel of experts from a range of agencies, including City ofEdinburgh Council and the Cyrenians, as well as individuals who have experienced homelessness, to discuss housing issues faced by LGBT people.
For lively debate join them on Thursday 22nd July, 7-9pm. To find out more call 0131 523 1100.
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No Knives, Better Lives
No knives, Better Lives was launched in June 2009 to get the word out about the dangers of carrying a knife. It brought together several groups of young people who were already making a stand against knife crime in their area. Today the campaign can be seen in posters, cinema adverts, online films and chalk stencils.
Incorporating youth diversionary activity, community engagement, social advertising and a structured programme in schools, No Knives, Better Lives is a multi-pronged campaign which aims to educate young people about the dangers of carrying a knife and the devastating personal consequences it can have on their future, as well as on their family and friends.
SYP are supporting the campaign, and will shortly be launching a project with the No Knives team which will see young people create their own 2 minute film against knife crime. We’ll be keeping you posted on how the project develops and how you too can take part over the coming months.
To make a stand on knife crime click here.
Board gets their induction
Our new board had their induction training last week at Edinburgh’s Storytelling centre straight after an exciting morning at the parliament launching the manifesto. The board received training on the governance of SYP; how to develop strategic plans; Child protection issues; Board Meeting training; Team building and team work, not to mention spending some time with Ann getting up to speed on where we are with our 3 year strategic plan.
SYP 3 Year Strategic Plan
You might remember in Ann’s speech regarding company business at the AGM that a 3 Year Strategic Plan is available to download online. You can download this plan by clicking here.
Events - Sign up now!
If you love our Sittings and other events the SYP runs and want to help shape how they come together, the SYP Events Group could be for you! If you’re interested, we’re recruiting for 8 MSYPs to join for the year ahead!
The Events Group ensures that MSYPs are at the heart of planning events and activities. They’ll represent MSYPs, bring ideas forward and make recommendations to the SYP Board.
Eight places are available on the group, on a first-come-first-served basis. To join you’ll need to be an elected MSYP, have a commitment to attend meetings and be able to take forward small pieces of work agreed by the group.
The Events Group will be involved in the planning of Sitting agendas and activities, developing other SYP events…and much more!
To join the group, get in touch with Rob Gowans on 0131 313 2488 or rob.g@syp.org.uk right away!
Procedures Group - Sign up now!
If you’re interested in the processes of the SYP, the Procedures Group could be more your thing! We’re also recruiting for this group on a first-come-first-served basis, so here’s your chance to get involved!
The SYP Procedures Group will ensure that MSYPs are at the heart of processes and procedures. They’ll also represent MSYPs’ views and make recommendations to the Board.
Like its sister group, to join you’ll need to be an elected MSYP, have a commitment to attend meetings and be able to take forward small pieces of work agreed by the group.
Examples of some things the group has worked on in the past are – the MSYP Handbook, disciplinary protocols, Investors in Volunteers (IiV) accreditation, the training programme and a review of National Voluntary Organisation membership.
So to join the group, get in touch with Rob Gowans on 0131 313 2488 or rob.g@syp.org.uk right away!
Farewell Marie, hello John-Paul!
At the Sitting we said our goodbyes to Youth Participation Officer Marie Macfarlane who is moving on to pastures muddy! Marie has left SYP to take up a post with the RUTS project in Midlothian which works with young people to improve their life opportunities, make the transition to adulthood and provide positive destinations away from anti-social activities. Much of what they do involves motorbikes, including training young people to fix them.
We hear that Marie’s first week has gone very well and that she has even had her first experience of riding a motorbike round a field – the Weekly Update understands that no cows were damaged during this process! Marie will be missed by MSYPs, support workers and staff alike and we wish her all the best for her exciting new role.
The Marie-shaped hole in our staff team will be partly plugged for by John-Paul McCabe who joins us on a six-month contract as a Sessional Worker. Most of you will have met John-Paul, either at the Sitting at the weekend, or in his previous role as a former Roars not Whispers Peer Leader with experience in youth engagement and empowerment of young people.
He joins SYP after graduating from Stirling University where he completed his Dissertation on the impact of devolution on the third sector and young people’s political participation. John-Paul will be working on the No Knives, Better Lives and The Pupil Council Projects as well as promoting and assisting the consultation process of the manifestos.
John-Paul’s email address is johnpaul.m@syp.org.uk
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