Girlguiding Scotland’s youth voice
We’re passionate about making sure our members have the opportunity to use their voice and take action on the issues they care about. Find our more about how we’re doing this through Speak Out and our Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament.
Speak Out
Speak Out is a forum for Girlguiding Scotland members to share their views on the issues that matter to them. Speak Out events are a great way to try new activities, gain new skills and to influence the advocacy work in Scotland.
Each year up to 20 Girlguiding Scotland members are selected to be Speak Out Champions, acting as spokespeople for Girlguiding Scotland and take on a direct role in shaping Girlguiding Scotland’s campaigning and advocacy work. The great news is we’re looking for our next group! We’ve put together a list of amazing opportunities past Speak Out champions have had below. Check it out then scroll down to find out more and apply now to get involved.
- Met with the First Minister at Bute House to discuss women in politics and the impact of social media on girls and young women
- Spoken out about period poverty in the Scottish Parliament and on BBC Radio 4
- Written to MSPs about Scotland’s deposit return scheme
- Given evidence to MSPs in the Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee on the impact of COVID19 on young people’s employment opportunities
- Met with the Minister for Mental Health to discuss the impact of poor body image on girls and young women
- Featured in The Scotsman with opinion articles on pressing issues
Why not flip through this zine that the previous group of Speak Out champions created to find out more?
You can also join our Speak Out Facebook group
As well as becoming a Speak Out champion (find out more info on this below), if you’re aged 14-25 you can also join our official Speak Out group on Facebook where we gather the opinions of Speak Out members on all sorts of issues!
Become a Speak Out champion
Do you want to help shape our future campaigns and advocacy work? Are you passionate about speaking out on issues affecting girls and young women? Then it’s time to take action and help us make Scotland the best possible place to be a girl! We’re now looking for more champions to join us in making sure girls’ voices are at the heart of everything we do. If you’re aged 14-25 apply now to become a Speak Out champion and shout about the things that matter to you. You’ve got until Monday 22 November.
You’ll find out everything else you need to know about the role in the application form which only takes a few minutes to fill in. If you have any questions please contact speakout@girlguiding-scot.org.uk.
Scottish Youth Parliament
We want all young people to get engaged with the democratic process and be empowered to speak out about issues they care about. We have two representatives on the Scottish Youth Parliament, also known as MSYPs.
What is the Scottish Youth Parliament?
The Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) is the democratically elected voice of Scotland’s young people. It’s made up of 150 young people aged 14-25 from across Scotland and is a platform for young people to make their voices heard on issues that matter to them.
The next SYP elections are taking place in November 2021. Two Girlguiding Scotland members aged 14-25 will be elected by members to represent us in Scotland’s Youth Parliament. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our members to develop their skills beyond their unit and the chance to represent girls and young women across Scotland.
What our MSYPs do
We want all young people to be engaged with democratic processes and feel empowered to speak out about issues they care about. We have two representatives in the Scottish Youth Parliament, also known as MSYPs.
Our two MSYPs represent the views of Girlguiding Scotland members so they can be truly represented on important issues facing girls and young women across the country. MSYPs attend SYP sittings three times a year, which involve debate and discussion around issues that matter to Scotland’s young people.
Find out more about our MSYPs
Sophie Reid and Abbie Wright are our current elected MSYPs.
Sophie Reid MSYP
I’m Sophie and a Ranger and Young Leader in Glasgow. I’m one of the two MSYPs for Girlguiding Scotland and I’m also a Trustee of SYP. I’m currently in my last year of secondary school and sit on the Education and Lifelong Learning Committee within SYP.
The top 5 things I’ve done as an MSYP are:
- Proposed a motion in SYP on Sexual Harassment on Public Transport which was passed with 97% and wrote an article for The Scotsman on this issue
- Elected as Trustee of SYP, sitting on the board and having responsibility for Procedures and National Voluntary Organisations
- Provided evidence to the Education and Skills Committee in the Scottish Parliament on the impact of lockdown on learning and online learning
- Spoke about Education at the Executive Team Youth Takeover with senior civil servants in Scotland
- Spoke to the Uzbekistan Parliament and Human Rights Commission on youth rights and the importance of meaningful engagement with young people
Abbie Wright MSYP
I’m Abbie and I’m one of the MSYPs for GirlGuiding Scotland. I’m a Brownie leader in Aberdeenshire and I’m also a Girlguiding Scotland Speak Out Champion. I’m currently studying mental health nursing at university, and work part-time as a swimming teacher and lifeguard at my local pool as well as being a support worker within the NHS. Within SYP I’m a member of the health and well-being committee, as well as being on the campaign delivery group, our minds our future project group, and the youth ethics advisory panel.
The top 5 things I’ve done as an MSYP are:
- Met with a group of guides from Lesotho to share what the Scottish Youth Parliament does
- Presented to local authority decision-makers what community-based mental health services for young people in Scotland could look like
- Attended See Me’s conference on mental health, sharing young people’s views and SYP policy with professionals
- Attended an SQA focus group on the impact of COVID-19 on young people’s education
- Passed a number of members motions, including on the importance of outdoor education centers working with Scouts Scotland MSYPs
Meet our MSYP Support Worker…
I’m Lynne and I’m Girlguiding Scotland’s MSYP Support Worker. I’m here to support Girlguiding Scotland MSYPs through their journey as an MSYP and help them to meet and consult with Girlguiding Scotland members on the issues that matter to them. I make sure that our MSYPs get the most of out their role and that they have a safe and enjoyable experience. This is a fantastic opportunity to work with passionate young people from diverse backgrounds across Scotland and to support them in making a difference within society.