Youth Local Action Groups
A Youth Local Action Groups (YLAG) is a group of young people between the ages of 16 and 30(ish) who care about their local area and hope to improve rural living for young people, now and in the future.
They are organised in rural regions across Scotland, originally inspired by the EUROPARC Youth Project in rural Europe and receive ‘Community Led Local Development’ (CLLD) funding from their area Local Action Group (LAG).
CLLD funding forms part of the Scottish Governments Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) and gives local communities the power to tackle their own, local challenges. By building knowledge and skills, supporting new ideas and encouraging cooperation, CLLD helps to create viable and resilient communities. Funding is allocated across 21 Scottish LAGs by Scottish Government on a yearly basis.
Currently there are eight YLAGs operating across rural and island Scotland:
- Cairngorms
- Fife
- Forth Valley and Lomond
- Highlands
- Moray
- Orkney
- Outer Hebrides
- Scottish Borders
YLAGs from Orkney, the Outer Hebrides, Fife, Scottish Borders, Forth Valley and Lomond, and the Cairngorms Youth Action Team worked in partnership to produced a collaborative film highlighting the contribution of youth-led local development to rural and island communities, and inviting participation and allyship from other young people and practitioners who work with them.
You can view their short film (above), which explains what YLAGs are about.
You can also read a guest blog (link below) from members of Borders YLAG who share how young leaders in the Borders helped shape regeneration – allocating £625K to improve youth spaces across the region.
Related articles
- Forth Valley and Lomond YLAG – Innovative youth in action – Scottish Rural Network
- Forth Valley & Lomond YLAG showcase – Youth Impact Fund Celebration – Scottish Rural Network
- Outer Hebrides YLAG ‘Byre to the Barn’ documentary – Byre to the Barn – Scottish Rural Network
