Marr Youth Forum

Are you a Young Person, 12yrs-25yrs, living or working in the Alford, Aboyne, Banchory or Gordon Schools, Huntly catchment?

Are you interested in seeing things improve for young people in the area?

Are you interested in what other young people think?

Would you like to learn more about taking collective action to achieve change for the better?

The Marr Youth Forum might just be for you! Read on or get in touch to learn more

Aberdeenshire Councils Youth and Communities Team are supporting the development of six 'Youth Forums' across Aberdeenshire. Each Area has a similar sized number of people but, your area, the Marr Area, covers about 50% of Aberdeenshires land mass and much of 4 academy catchments Alford, Aboyne, Banchory or Gordon Schools, Huntly.

Sounds interesting but what is a Youth Forum? Youth Forums, sometimes called youth platforms, youth action groups can take different approaches. Different young people in different areas will have all sorts of different views and experiences but young people involved in Youth Forums:

• aim to develop understanding around common experiences, issues and aspirations that impact communities of young people whether communities of shared interest or communities of place.
• aim to share the collective experience, issues and aspirations of communities of young people to promote understanding and influence change.
• aim to improve things for young who have common experience, issues and aspirations by taking direct collective action on things that matter.
• can influence and change things by learning about who holds resources, who makes decisions and how they can influence resources and decisions.
• can influence and change things by learning how to start and run groups or develop projects.
• are willing to learn how to make a difference by working together.

Sounds great but what actually happens, how will the Marr Youth Forum work? Aberdeenshire's Youth and Communities Team will support the Marr Youth Forum to:

• Meet regularly on line and/or in person.
• Identify the things that matter to youth forum members
• design and carryout fact finding on what matters to other young people in their areas (including through this platform - see survey)
• develop action plans
• understand who can help them take action and help them make those links.
• understand what resources are available to help them take action- training, equipment, funding.
• take action on the things that matter to them and their communities
• meet, share knowledge and where there is common aspirations work with Youth Forums across Aberdeenshire.

Sounds good but what kind of things can a forum take action on? What does taking action look like? Youth Forums across Scotland have represented communities of young people and achieved actions big and small e.g.

• Telling their story to promote understanding and change policies and services - Young People have highlighted issues affecting many young people from how free school dinners are administrated in Aberdeenshire to how nuclear waste is managed in the UK
• Sharing their aspirations and forming project development groups - Young People have taken direct action from starting a local activity club to developing recreation facilities for the whole community.
• Get inspired, by some of the things Young People have achieved across Aberdeenshire in the Stories Section where Youth Forum members old and new can share their achievements.

Sounds interesting, I'm curious and might like to get involved but what can I bring to the group? Curiosity is great start but there is all sorts of roles that are important in a Youth Forum and Youth Forums welcome and benefit from diverse perspectives and personalities:

• Your experience matters. It's likely that the things that you would like to improve also impact other people.
• Maybe you are either creative, highly organised, a broad thinker, love researching topics or a good listener.
• Maybe you understand why it's difficult for some people to get involved and can help us reach more young people or make the group more inclusive.
• Maybe you simply want to change things for the better and are willing to just get involved and see how you can help as the forum develops.

What can I do right now?

Get involved in the forum - Get in touch!

Share your thoughts with the Marr Youth Forum - Have your voice included, fill in the simple survey and we'll share with members to see if your issues and aspirations are shared by other young people.

Subscribe to this page - You'll be first to here about live surveys and polls, and get feedback and hear about youth forum activity.

Thanks or now!