The Cairngorms Trust and Cairngorms Youth Local Action Group (YLAG) recently awarded £6,500 across 16 different projects.
The Cairngorms Youth LAG Fund was open to applications from people the age of 30 or by those who would be working with young people. Individuals could apply for up to £500 and groups can apply for up to £2500.
The fund will support projects or activities that includes some or all of the following fund priorities.
- Sustainability, biodiversity and addressing the climate emergency
• Skills development
• Inter-generational projects
• Art, creativity and culture
• Nature connection
• Fun, health, happiness & wellbeing
• Building community, networks and interactions between people
• Inclusion and under-represented groups
Of the 16 projects supported in this round of funding it is supporting purchasing of equipment including camera, winter boots, crampons, wood turning lathe to courses ranging from tree identification, bike mechanics, emergency first aid, paddle sports instructor, off piste/backcountry ski touring, summer mountain leader, forest and outdoor learning to bushcraft competency certificate.
Nancy Chambers, Manager at the Cairngorms Trust comments ‘Wonderful to see the range of projects supported through the Youth LAG this year. Everything from equipment to courses being funded with some great community impact aswell. Look out for a film from one of our Youth LAG representatives that explains more about the Youth LAG’
Ellie Moore, Member of Cairngorms Youth LAG comments ‘It’s been absolutely brilliant to see how successful Round 4 of the Cairngorms YLAG Funding has been. We received fantastic applications from young people carrying out a huge variety of amazing projects: from equipment for creative projects to training for leadership qualifications. We were delighted to fund projects from young people under 18 too. We really appreciate being part of a project that enables so much for other young people!’
By supporting young people with this equipment and training courses it is empower the youth in their living, learning and working within the Cairngorms National Park. The fund promotes young people’s connection to nature and community and inspire environmental awareness to create positive change and take action to address biodiversity loss and climate change. We want to protect and conserve our environment and develop a deep nature connection that has positive impacts on health and well-being for young people within the Cairngorms National Park.’
The Cairngorms Youth Action Team (CYAT) is a group of young people aged 14-26 who formed in 2018 to represent the voice of the youth in the Cairngorms National Park. These engaged volunteers are building a platform to enable young people to create positive change within the Park. Together, they are developing ideas that lead to proactive participation in decision making.
THEIR AIMS ARE:
- To be the voice of young people in the Park by recruiting young people to form the Cairngorms Youth Action Team.
• To develop a procedure to fund young people’s ideas about living, learning and working in the Park by giving them a grant.
• To put on educational, exciting and innovative events for young people in the Park.
THEIR PURPOSE IS:
- To be an empowering and inspiring platform for young people to share and develop ideas that lead to proactive participation in decision making.
• To engage with the natural and cultural heritage of our local rural communities.
• To enable young people to tackle issues and create positive change.
• By including the voice of young people and their constantly evolving ideas, we can create a sustainable future for our park.
During the 2018 EUROPARC Youth Manifesto Project, the Youth Action Team stated that they would like to fund young people’s ideas about living, learning and working in the Park by awarding them with grants. Over 2021/22, in partnership with the Cairngorms Trust, the Youth Action Team put this into action.
8 young people from the Youth Action Team formed a Youth Local Action Group (LAG), who co-designed and ran the first ever Cairngorms Youth LAG Fund over 2021-2.
