The Scottish Government wants to work with young people on Arran to develop ideas to make sure they remain on, move to or return to the islands.
Rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon launched a new project in August 2022 to provide children and young people living in island communities with a platform to make their voices heard, contribute to the implementation of the Scottish Government’s National Islands Plan and engage with each other on issues that matter to them.
Ms Gougeon said: “If we are going to address population decline, we need to work with and listen to young people living in rural areas and on islands to develop the right solutions and help them fulfil their ambitions.
"By working with Youth Scotland and the Scottish Rural and Island Youth Parliament, we have a real chance to remove the barriers that stop young people from enjoying all the benefits that rural and island life bring – unique employment opportunities, a strong sense of community and access to the best of Scotland’s local produce and natural assets.
“We are going to help community councils to make better use of social media to reach out to more people, particularly younger generations, to be sure they have a say in improving local services. Our independent expert advisory group on migration and population will also take forward research looking at population trends and migration and mobility for young people in island and rural communities, with a particular focus on Gaelic-speaking communities.”
Andy Tait, Kaydence Drayak and Bryan Hauxwell from the Young Islanders Network said: "The Young Islanders Network and young people in our communities welcome the valuable opportunity to support and shape delivery of the Addressing Depopulation Action Plan by keeping the focus on what is important to us. It is important for us to share our experiences, local knowledge and needs now and for the future. This includes reliable transport, affordable housing, access to healthcare and sustainable jobs with opportunities for careers.
“For us to be effective in doing this, we need to be involved in our communities at all levels and using this opportunity to understand the needs of young islanders. Working alongside other young people from across rural communities to learn and share will help to shape this.
“It is important that decisions about our lives are made now as part of a two-way conversation and not on our behalf. For us to be able to thrive, we need this to happen now, not later when many of us may have had to leave our islands."
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