YMCA nominated for coveted digital gongs
Charity is shortlisted for groundbreaking projects
18.05.2017 Paisley’s YMCA has been nominated for a pair of top awards.
The charity is being recognised for its digital education services and it is tipped to win two prestigious gongs.
The Christian group has been named as a finalist in the Scottish Charity Awards 2017.
No m i n a t e d for the Demonstrating Digital category, the YMCA is up against three other organisations who have established a g roundbre a k i n g d i g i t a l organisation or project.
Organised by the Scottish Council for Vo l u nt a r y Organisations ( SCVO), the awards, which are free to enter, celebrate the life-changing work of charities, community groups and individuals dedicated to making Scotland a better place to live.
The YMCA is also in the final of the Digital Leaders competition.
This is a global initiative for promoting effective, long-term digital transformation across government and industries.
The independent list recognises 100 people and organisations across the UK who are leading the way in digital transformation and the group are in the category of Digital Charity of the Year.
Darran Gillan, 41, youth manager at Paisley YMCA said the recognition was greatly appreciated by the charity.
He told: “Our aim is to support and develop young people to reach their full potential through digitally-based cultural and educational projects and programmes that develop an entrepreneurial spirit.
“To be shortlisted as a nominee under the digital category is a great achievement .
“It’s a lighthouse moment for us to be recognised by our peers that we are heading in the right direction.
Darran says the YMCA are in the running because of the digital- based youth work programmes they deliver across Renfrewshire.
One example of that is what is called “iEnterprise”.
Darran said: “It’s a digitalbased youth enterprise incubator for young people aged 11 to 15 .
“It teaches them about being on time, about dealing with customers, money handling and all of these basic things to do with the world of work.”
He added that the iEnterprise programme tapped into the interests of young people themselves, taking into account their age, lack of resources – or lack of opportunity.
Darran said: “The iEnterprise incubator is all about giving them that opportunity – exposing them to high-end digital facilities and technology they can use to then take the idea from out of their heads and implement that in the real world.
“It’s very popular.”
The YMCA in Paisley also runs four “coding clubs” a week that introduce young people to the basics of computer programming.
“Every time we set one of these up, it always sells out”, Darran added.
“We support about 60 young people per week.
“What we are about is making young people employable through the programmes, as well as teaching them skills.”
To vote for the YMCA in the Scottish Charity Awards v i s i t : www. goodhq. org/ scottish_charity_awards_2017/ paisleyymca
To vote for them in the Digital Leaders competition visit: www. digileaders100.com