Community / Young folk celebrated after racking up over 22,000 hours volunteering
YOUNG people across Shetland have broken records for a second consecutive year after racking up over 22,000 hours of volunteering between them over the last year.
The Saltire Awards were held at Mareel on Tuesday night, celebrating the incredible volunteering achievements from Shetland’s young folk.
A total of 185 people between the ages of 12 and 25 received a total of 335 certificates between them, recognising over 22,500 hours of volunteering collectively accrued with 70 different local groups, schools and organisations.
The Saltire Awards are a national awards scheme designed to recognise and reward the commitment young people make to volunteering in their community.
They are locally managed by Voluntary Action Shetland (VAS) and recognise milestones of 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 and 500 hours spent volunteering.
The Shetland Youth Voice Committee supported the delivery of the ceremony thisyear, with Beenie-Ann Wood (chair) and Kali Mackenzie-Thomson (secretary)opening the ceremony with a speech about the power of young people.
They said that volunteering can have a “life-changing effect on our growth as youngpeople”,adding they want everyone to go home “knowing and truly believing thatyou are more than capable of positive change”.
Wood and Mackenzie-Thomson were joined by fellow committee members Erin Watt and Ava Williamson in presenting certificates throughout the evening.
The variety of volunteering and the spread across Shetland was higher than usual,with young people supporting their local clubs and communities all the way from theSouth Mainland to Uyeasound in Unst.
The event was concluded with the presentation of the Summit Awards, the mostprestigious Saltire award.
This is only achieved by volunteers who have been nominated by their supervisors for making an outstanding contribution to volunteering.
Winners this year included the youth voice committee, Sophie Johnson from Open Door Drama, Bertie Summers MSYP, Becca McArthur from COPE and Vaila Thompson from Shetland Army Cadets.
VAS youth volunteer development worker Lavinia Schmidt thanked all the volunteers and organisations who continue to provide opportunities for young people.
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