Royal Caledonian Education TrustThanks to generous funding from Paul Hamlyn Foundation, The Royal Caledonian Education Trust has successfully successfully amplified the voice of children and young people from serving personnel, reservist and veteran families across Scotland, through a range of projects during these unprecedented times.
Despite challenges presented by the COVID-19 Pandemic, the charity has successfully adapted to virtual means to better understand and respond effectively to unique challenges experienced by Armed Forces young people, nurture confidence, develop new skills and provide a platform to speak up for what matters most.
The Royal Caledonian Education Trust has embedded a co-production framework into all aspects of its work, which recognises that the unique experiences of Armed Forces young people as well as their passions, ambition and drive to pursue positive futures serve as the charity’s most valuable asset
Working directly with children and young has enabled the charity to deliver meaningful, impactful projects which have effectively raised awareness and supported Armed Forces young people overcome unique challenges faced to education and learning, mental health and wellbeing and the pursuit of positive futures.
Youth Forum Virtual Sessions
Over one hundred and thirty virtual sessions have reduced isolation, enhanced connectivity and supported the mental health and wellbeing for members of youth forum members across Scotland. The sessions have also helped develop new skills and participation in a wide range of fun-based activities, projects and discussion groups.
Manifesto
Armed Forces young people shaped our first ever Manifesto, ahead of the recent Scottish Parliament elections in May, whose recorded audio clips were embedded within the digital Manifesto to amplify the unique challenges they face with regards to mental health and wellbeing, education and learning, participation and data.
Armed Forces Young Carers
A working group has been established with the Ministry of Defence Community Development and Carers Trust Scotland to support the development of policy and procedures to better support and raise awareness of many unique challenges faced by Armed Forces young carers across Scotland.
Our Armed Forces young carers played an integral role in developing a social media campaign for Young Carers Action Day, which focused on a series of audio recordings which described day-to-day life, unique challenges and the development of skills to work towards positive futures.
Your Mind Matters
Armed Forces young people have participated in virtual sessions to share their unique experiences, creativity and voice to co-produce a new bespoke digital and face-to-face mental health and wellbeing service, titled Your Mind Matters, for peers and wider family members, which will formally launch in 2022.
Forces Life Project
Armed Forces young people are currently working together, through the Forces Life Project co-design a new board game and comic book resource which will help civilian friends, classmates and teachers better understand what it is like to be an Armed Forces young person today, which will formally launch early in 2022.
We extend our sincere thanks to Paul Hamlyn Foundation for their continued generous funding in support of Royal Caledonian Education Trust’s work with children and young people from forces families across Scotland.
Are a young person from a serving personnel, reservist or veteran family and would like to learn more about getting involved in our Youth Participation Programme? Please contact [email protected]