Events team ready to help local groups
The Strathmore Centre for Youth Development (SCYD) has a new events team that is ready and waiting to help local groups and organisations manage their events and help ensure they run smoothly.
The new team has been set up by Aaron Cannon, a modern apprentice at the Wellmeadow House-based youth organisation.
Aaron (17) has been volunteering with SCYD since 2011 when he was 12.
He first got involved when some of his friends started going to the centre’s previous home on Leslie Street but soon realised he was most interested in the activities side of the youth organisation’s work.
Aaron, who left Blairgowrie High School last summer, explained: “SCYD has always helped out at events such as the community market in Blairgowrie, the Picnic in the Park and Alyth Show, but hasn’t really done anything too big.
“I came up with the idea of setting up a specific events team and running it as a business venture around 18 months ago and since then we have been doing it on a sort of pilot scheme basis. We are looking to build on the success of the initial project now.
“There are so many great events going on the area and it’s good for young people to be involved in those events.
“I started my modern apprenticeship at SCYD in September and since then we have already been more involved in events like Braemar Day and Night, the Blairgowrie Highland Games and the Blairgowrie Christmas lights switch-on.
“We are also working with the Gala Rocks event in Coupar Angus and with Scottish Wrestling Entertainment.”
He went on: “We offer event management and organisation services, emergency responders, first aid responders, car park management and other general services.
“We try to cater for anything some of the events like Gala Rocks and Alyth Show attract around 2-3000 people each year and I would think we could go up to events with about 5000 people.
“The team is made up of volunteers from SCYD. We have between 18 and 30 young people who regularly help out at events.”
Aaron added that the team would be doing some fundraisers over the coming months to enable them to purchase equipment such as first aid kits and hi-vis vests and to cover the cost of travelling to events in other areas such as Kirriemuir, enabling them to expand their potential customer base.
He said: “We really want to take this to another level this year and provide more opportunities for young people and more support for local events.
“Our long-term goal is to create a viable business that would provide jobs for local people.”
If you are organising an event and would like to discuss opportunities to work with SCYD’s events team, contact Aaron on email events@scyd.org.uk or telephone 01250 872121.
SCYD is open to young people aged between 11 and 25-yearsold.