Thank you for being a part of the Scottish Rural & Islands Youth Parliament 2023!
We hope you enjoyed the event in Fort William on the 1st of November 2023. If you missed it, you can catch up on the highlights and discussions by exploring our post-event content. You can also download the programme here.
It was an inspiring gathering that brought together young voices from rural and island Scotland to discuss what truly matters.
Even though the event has passed, you can still stay connected and informed. Sign up for our newsletter to receive updates and stay engaged with the ongoing conversations. Your voice continues to matter!
Our Priorities
The housing market needs to be reformed to meet the needs of all people in rural and island communities now! By implementing policy that disempowers the private sector and empowers communities.
We want sustainable transport which works and is up to date and fit for purpose across all areas of Scotland for all people and all forms of transport.
Proper recognition of the arts as a tool for community development and building community resilience through ringfencing funding for local authorities to create a robust network for community development staff who can use and celebrate the arts.
Supermarkets must have a target imposed that a percentage of produce must be offered for sale from their region to reduce food miles and carbon costs, promote food security, recognise quality, and high welfare standards of Scottish produce. For example, seafood, protein, fruit and veg, meat, dairy, and eggs.
There is a lack of long-term commitment to our Rural and Islands environment that enables and prioritises rural community agency alongside nature regeneration. Therefore, we want a government funding cycle that matches the long-term vision and a regulation on the financialisaton of nature.
We ask you to commit to a youth led reform of education where we measure educational success with youth wellbeing, not attainment and offer life and work experience, and the freedom to choose.
We ask you to improve the current system with empathetic interventions including: recognition and management of symptoms rather than medical diagnoses, creating social support places and spaces, finding proven methods and solutions tailored to specific age groups.
As young carers, we ask you to commit to funding out of school support such as carers, because we want to be seen, heard, and supported in our communities.
Listening with purpose to pupils within schools and acting with sincerity. Utilising pupil’s voices to bring about compromise and change.
We want you to be our spokesperson at Scottish Parliament by publicly demonstrating what you learn and what actions you will take following this Rural Youth parliament.
Our Youth Sponsors
We are very grateful to the individuals and organisations who generously sponsored our young delegates.
They include, Ann Nisbet Studio, Laurence Lassell, Nick Wright and the following organisations:
