Scottish ClubSport YPWG Experience – Katie Innes
About the Author:
Name: Katie Innes
Age: 21
Local Authority: Fife
Roles Held: SCS Young People`s Working Group (YPWG)
Introduction:
We spoke with one of Scottish ClubSport`s original YPWG members, Katie Innes who has shared her experience with us and highlighted some key pieces of work she has been involved in. So, grab a cuppa and read about Katie`s YPWG experience.
How did you get involved in the YPWG?
My Grandad sent me the application originally, he thought it sounded like something I would be good at and enjoy. After looking into it more it seemed like an amazing opportunity and a logical progression of my volunteering experience within sport. At the time, I was a sports ambassador at my high school, a dance leader for local primary schools and the cadet rep at Newburgh Sailing Club.
Tell us about how you were feeling when you joined the YPWG
I was really excited to be at the root of youth leadership and part of something brand new. I was also nervous that the other people on the group were going to know more than me or be more involved than me and I felt, for a very short period of time, some imposter syndrome, like how did I manage to join this amazing group of young people?
Tell us about your first thoughts when first joining and how did you fit in with the group?
I immediately made friends with the original members – Alice, Emily and George. It`s really not tricky to make friends with people that share your passions. I was nervous to speak in the beginning but quickly settled in and felt comfortable sharing my thoughts because I realised, they were valued by each member of the group.
What did you do and what did you get involved in?
We had so many ideas in the beginning, we wanted to fix everything! After a few meetings we managed to agree on a smaller number of focus areas rather than everything at once. We were all involved in those focus areas rather than dividing them up as we felt it was more effective to work as a team.
My highlight from the original group, and in fact my entire time on the YPWG, was when myself and George, interviewed Rhona McLeod, Journalist and Broadcaster. This interview can be found at https://www.actify.org.uk/module/2150
Tell us about your group conversations and the meetings you have had with the YPWG
We meet up online and in person around 10 times a year. We discuss any current issues we have identified that are affecting young people within sport. Lately our focus has been ‘Campus to Community’ which is easy for us to all feel passionate about since so many of us are university students. We talk about our individual growth within our roles and as a team. We also look to each other for advice and guidance. We have recently also invited Scottish ClubSport members and governing bodies to our meetings to hear from them and learn from the sector.
What areas of support have you got involved with?
With RYA Scotland I have been supporting them to develop youth voice within their sport. As a young person and a sailor, I am really passionate about supporting this area of development.
What did you do with this support and what help were you asked to give?
I originally helped them to create an application form for a youth director. Then I advised on ways of promoting this application. Since then, I have recorded a video around my experience within sailing and a little bit about being on the YPWG which they used on their social media and at a conference. I have since then met with various people from RYA Scotland online and in person to advise on what a group of young people could do for them and their sport. I have also attended their Scottish Youth and Juniors event at Loch Tummel to help promote youth voice, talk to young people and assist in gathering information and statistics around what these young people actually want.
“Katie has been an enthusiastic and proactive advocate for getting youth involvement in how sports organisations function. One of the initial ways she has supported this within RYA Scotland was helping the CEO draft and promote the advert for an Under-25 non-exec Director on the RYA Scotland Board. Her ideas helped shape it into an attractive role and through the promotion we received a good number of strong applications from young people with a variety of backgrounds. Katie has also supported conversations we have had as an organisation about a program to connect more directly with younger sailors and introduce a “Youth Voice” into the decision making process. Katie has attended sailing events and been a positive presence around young people encouraging them to share their views.” – statement from RYA Scotland CEO and Staff Members.
What differences have you seen since you have given support?
RYA Scotland now have a youth director and had a young sailors chatroom at their connect conference in March.
What are you helping with moving forward?
Moving forward I am helping them with their aim of creating a team of young people to be a voice within the organisation to make sure young people feel they are heard, and get to shape their sport – whether it is sailing, windsurfing, power boating, wing foiling etc.
How are you feeling about the support you are giving – do you feel heard? Listened too? A leader etc?
I feel that everyone I have emailed with or met up with has really valued my opinions and advice. It is incredible to make a difference within any sport but to be part of the change for RYA Scotland and their youth membership has been a privilege. I grew up at Newburgh Sailing Club as one of eleven cadets (under 18s) and the impact I managed to have with my own club in growing the cadet membership was incredible but to be doing the same now on a national scale is something completely unforgettable.
Scottish ClubSport would like to express its gratitude to Katie for sharing her experiences of the YPWG and the work she has done.
Moving forward, Scottish ClubSport has committed to working with partners to support them in their youth leadership work and planning. If you would like to discuss support from Scottish ClubSport and the YPWG, please contact Gary Grieve – [email protected] / 07528719350.
