Sponsored by Youth Scotland
The Garnock Valley Locality Team is a passionate group of professionals delivering youth work in one of Scotland’s most deprived areas. Based in North Ayrshire, the team supports young people in the Garnock Valley — a rural area with high levels of child poverty and diverse, close-knit communities.
The team’s work includes:
Through strong partnerships with local organisations and statutory agencies, the team is making a significant difference:
The team’s work extends beyond structured programmes, offering pop-up youth sessions, mobile youth centres, and initiatives to engage young people at risk of antisocial behaviour. These efforts are proving to be a lifeline for many, as young people report increased confidence and a sense of belonging.
As one young person put it:
“Working in the Youth Forum has unlocked so many opportunities for me. I am much more confident in public speaking and better at dealing with situations that aren’t going to plan. It’s allowed me to meet so many amazing people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise.”
The Garnock Valley Locality Team shows what can happen when youth work is done well — with heart, dedication, and a deep understanding of the community’s needs. By investing in young people and providing opportunities for growth, the team is tackling those barriers of poverty and exclusion.
The Perthshire Youth Work Partnership (PYWP) is a unique collaboration between seven grassroots youth work organisations across Perth & Kinross — YMCA Tayside, KYTHE, Breathe, SCYD, Logos, Alyth Youth Project, and CYAG. What unites them? A belief in youth voice, shared learning, and universal access to brilliant youth work.
Since 2019, and with ten years of sustained funding from The Gannochy Trust and Perth & Kinross Council, PYWP has built a strong, youth-led infrastructure that’s already reaching almost 4,000 young people — 46% of the area’s secondary school population.
Each organisation is deeply rooted in its own community, with young people shaping the programmes through local Youth Voice groups. Together, they’ve created a powerful regional movement — where young people are not only participants, but co-creators.
Highlights include:
Crucially, young people told PYWP they wanted more say, more skills, and more support for the real world. They didn’t want to be pushed into one route — they wanted purpose, fairness in employment, and respect for their rights. The partnership listened. Those views now form the foundation of a new action plan co-designed with stakeholders.
“Before the partnership, there was hardly anywhere to go. Now there are clubs and warm, safe spaces where we’re truly valued.”
PYWP shows what can happen when local youth work organisations come together, put young people in charge, and share power. It’s grassroots. It’s youth-led. And it’s making Perthshire a better place to grow up.
At the heart of Aberdeen’s youth scene, the Touch of Love Young Achievers Club is a shining example of what community-based youth work can be.
Founded with the mission to ensure inclusion, personal growth, and cultural appreciation, the club now works with over 450 young people, most of them New Scots from minority ethnic backgrounds. Through a rich and responsive programme — including sports, arts, social events, cultural workshops, and educational support — the club meets young people where they are, and helps them grow into who they want to be.
Whether it’s learning Scottish dancing and exploring the Highlands, building confidence through sports, or taking part in career workshops, the club’s holistic approach blends fun, friendship and informal learning. Activities are co-designed with young people to reflect their ideas, experiences and dreams — and that participatory spirit makes the club feel like a second home.
Touch of Love is a safe, inclusive and welcoming space — and for many young people, it’s the first place they’ve felt truly seen and heard. The youth workers focus on building trust, confidence and cultural pride, while also supporting young people to broaden their horizons, explore their Scottish identity, and take pride in their community.
The club collaborates with schools, cultural groups and local services to provide joined-up support — and maintains an open-door ethos, welcoming young people from all walks of life.
“It’s more than just a place to hang out. It’s where I found a second family.”
In a time where belonging matters more than ever, the Touch of Love Young Achievers Club is helping young people in Aberdeen thrive, connect, and build a better future — together.