Commonwealth Youth Summit hailed a success
Members of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Community and Customer Committee will be asked to consider the end of project evaluation for the Commonwealth Youth Summit, and also note the significant contribution made by local volunteers and participants in making the Youth Summit a success. The meeting on 21 October will provide Members with an in-depth evaluation of the event.
It was decided by Policy and Resources Committee on 3 December last year that Dumfries and Galloway would hold the event following on from a request by the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in their role as a Legacy lead for Youth Work. The event took place in and around Dumfries but was based in the town’s Dock Park. Over 200 participants from 19 different Commonwealth countries took part in the Youth Summit. Thirty of the 248 participants were from our region, and represented schools and youth organisations from each of the 4 areas within Dumfries and Galloway. Over 30 adult volunteers were also recruited from our region, and proved an integral part of the Summit by carrying out roles ranging from airport transfers and translation to hosting participants and coaching.
Organisers were flooded with interest from overseas individuals, with 62 registering an interest in attending the Summit. 25 applicants managed to make it to the Commonwealth Youth Summit, coming from as far as Sri Lanka and Canada. This made the event the largest Youth Work event in Scotland since 2007. Participants camped in the specially adapted Dock Park Camp Site and a real festival atmosphere was prevalent throughout the entire event.
The Summit started on Friday 6 June and was opened with a colourful Commonwealth Flag Ceremony. Key speakers took to the stage over the 3 day event including gold medal winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington, Falkland’s war veteran Simon Weston and Chris Lubbe, the former bodyguard of Nelson Mandella. The Summit closed on Sunday 8 June after 3 days of leadership and volunteering skills training, practical team building exercises and a Royal Message by HRH the Earl of Wessex.
Members will hear at the meeting that a post-event survey of participants revealed that 64% of those surveyed said they had become more inspired as a result of the Commonwealth Youth Summit, and 95% said they’d recommend the Summit to others. These figures help quantify the Legacy the event has created. One of the main aims of the Summit was to connect young people from different countries and cultures and allow them to build relationships with one another. Yammer donated an online discussion forum to allow participants to communicate and interact in a secure environment, and this will be in place for a minimum of 2 years.
Chairman of Community and Customer Services Committee Tom McAughtrie said ahead of Tuesday’s meeting;
“This report emphasises how much of a success the Commonwealth Youth Summit. Our Council has done tremendously well in facilitating the largest youth work event Scotland has seen in the past 7 years. It is marvellous to see that nearly all of the participants who attended the event would recommend it to a friend. Participants and volunteers did our region proud during the Commonwealth Youth Summit and played their part in a lasting Legacy that the Summit has undoubtedly provided.”
The summary report can be downloaded from the Council website at; http://egenda.dumgal.gov.uk/aksdumgal/images/att34721.pdf
