Smart Village hope for youths
Young people are being urged to join a focus group to help develop a pioneering“world first”youth-centric SmartVillage.
The Rural Youth Project is sending out the rallying call for youngsters to build vibrant, creative, and sustainable rural economies in the places they call home.
Smart Villages, a concept driven by the European Network for Rural Development, are rural digital‘villages’ that combine physical and digital communities to improve their resilience, building on local strengths and opportunities.
Smart Village Scotland has partnered with the Rural Youth Project to create the Rural Youth Project Smart Village which will be a super connected community that will function as a space for young people to connect, to build or expand their enterprise and leadership skills and to trade.
Chair of the Rural Perth and Kinross LEADER Programme and chief executive of Growbiz Scotland, Jackie Brierton, says this is a fantastic opportunity.
She said: “The Rural Youth Project received £191,170 support from the LEADER Programme 2014-2020: The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas. The funding comes from five regions in Scotland.
“We’re therefore delighted that a vibrant Smart Village community, built for and by young people, is being developed to support our five LEADER areas; Angus, Lanarkshire, Outer Hebrides, Rural Perth and Kinross and the Scottish Borders, which will leave a lasting legacy for those rural young people and communities.
“Smart Villages are being developed to support a number of communities in Scotland and Europe.
“A dedicated one for young people is essential to enable them to connect, have a voice, share ideas, engage with relevant entrepreneurs and community leaders to help them to address challenges where they want to live, study and work.
“COVID-19 has brought young people and communities many additional challenges and this is a fantastic opportunity for young people to get involved and develop new skills to be part of shaping the future for their community.
“The next phase of a longer-term programme is to reach out to all areas of Scotland and enable all young people to participate and become the next generation of rural leaders.”
Co-founders and directors of the Rural Youth Project, Jane Craigie and Rebecca Dawes, said: “We are particularly excited about the marketplace where young people can sell products and services. As a buyer from Smart Village‘shops’ you will know that for every pound you spend, that you will be supporting a Scottish young person and investing back into their local rural community.”
Young people interested in attending the focus group on September 10 can register via Eventbrite.