Shotts Community Priorities Highlights 26/27

The Community Priorities workshop was planned for Senior Conference time within our high Schools. The senior conferences are for young people who are returning to School for a 5th and a 6th year after their SQA diet of exams aged 17 and 18.

During the Senior Conference the young people learn from Education Staff and our partners on:

• senior responsibility, 
• community involvement, 
• planning for the future among others.

These conferences are a good opportunity for the Community Partnership Team  to liaise and work with members of the community and to facilitate the community priorities survey. The workshop had a 50-minute duration and was facilitated by the Community Partnership Officer on 1st June in Calderhead High School.

The workshop resulted in 40 full responses on the Community Priorities youth survey from the young people attending.  Although some of the surveys were partially completed, analysis of the survey results will still allow these partial responses to contribute to the overall results. These results are vital to ensure young people of this age group are participating in the decision-making process of the local Community Priorities and being enabled to engage in the process, ensuring their views are considered. 

This matters greatly, as the upcoming Community Priorities will guide local decision making for the next decade. These choices will shape the environments young people grow up in and will continue to influence their lives as they transition into adulthood.

The sessions also highlighted how their ideas, experiences and perspectives can make a valuable contribution to their communities, encouraging active participation in decision-making processes that affect their lives and futures. It was an excellent opportunity to engage with young people during an annual event which happens within most of our High Schools.