During the Easter Holidays, 24 Youth Ambassadors from 10 schools across Aberdeen City and Shire assisted in various AFCCT programmes.

The Youth Ambassador programme is supported by The ‘Brighter Futures’ legacy fund which was established in 2021 in memory of Aberdeen FC Community Trust’s former chairman, Duncan Skinner.

The year-long programme provides opportunities for young people, aged 14-18, to develop skills and knowledge that will enable them to thrive after school.

Delivered by AFCCT, the Youth Ambassador programme gives young people a chance to gain essential life experiences, skills, and qualifications, which may not otherwise be available to them.

The programme aims to prepare young people for their future by incorporating elements of volunteering and work experience, in addition to group sessions and 1-1 mentoring. Around 45 young people from across the North East have signed up for the programme.

Each young person on the programme is supported in setting targets, and further developing the skills and qualifications required to reach their goals. This is achieved through a combination of workshops, training courses, work experiences and volunteering. In addition, each young person’s volunteer hours will contribute towards attaining Saltire Volunteer Awards.

Since August 2022, AFCCT has been running the Youth Ambassadors programme which has allowed the Youth Ambassadors to be involved in AFCCT projects both in and out of school, including assisting on matchdays and various school holiday programmes.

Through the duration of the Easter holidays Youth Ambassadors assisted in the coaching at our Easter Coaching camps, supported pupils attending GoFitba which is a football-based health and wellbeing project for Primary School kids and helped out at our Health & Wellbeing programmes which included The Pittodrie Community Hub, Health Walks, Technogym, and Football Memories.

The Youth Ambassadors hard work over Easter has gained them an impressive total of 380 volunteering hours, increasing their total volunteer hours from over the year up to 864.

Young Person said, “To be involved in the Youth Ambassador programme has been a fantastic opportunity. The experience has inspired me to become a coach and I hope that I can do that one day soon with AFCCT, I loved it.”

A parent added, “It has been a brilliant experience for him. By gaining an insight into what AFC Community Trust does, it has made him more enthusiastic to be involved.”

AFCCT Education and Community Officer Fraser Burnett added, “It was brilliant to see the Youth Ambassadors put into practice what they have learned over the last couple of months. The Youth Ambassadors got on extremely well, they came in with a smile on their face, helped the AFCCT staff and were thoroughly engaged in each programme. The AFCCT staff members who were also at the projects, said that the Youth Ambassadors should be proud of themselves. During the week their confidence grew, and they became more willing to communicate with the staff. With 6 weeks of activity during the Summer Holidays, it will be great to see how much the Youth Ambassadors progress and develop their skills.”

At AFCCT we are enthusiastic about supporting young people, helping them learn, develop, and grow. We are grateful and appreciate the Youth Ambassadors for giving up their school holidays to support us and to give back to their local communities.