A labour of lav
TUESDAY
WHEN the iWill campaign was looking for a poster girl to encourage young people to get involved with volunteering and community action, Grace Warnock was a shoo-in.
Grace, 12, who has Crohn’s C disease, is living proof p that kids can make a huge h difference.
She is the powerhouse behind b the inclusive signs that now n appear on disabled toilets across a Scotland, reminding people p that not all disabilities are a visible.
Someone who looks “well” can c have a debilitating condition, c such as Crohn’s.
So she was an obvious choice for f a campaign designed to encourage e those aged 10-20 to put p down their phones and make m a difference.
IWill’s research shows that two t out of every five young people do some volunteering, fundraising or campaigning work. So there’s plenty of room for more to get involved in helping their community – and make themselves more employable into the bargain.
Grace’s mum Jude said: “The campaign is to make sure youth in Scotland have a voice during the Year of Young People 2018.
“They will be celebrating what youth can achieve and trying to leave a legacy.
“They want to show why it’s important to get other children involved, so there’s another focus in their life.
“I’d much rather Grace was doing things like that rather than being on computers all the time. And if she can encourage other children, that’s fantastic.”
Since designing her sign, Grace has won several awards, including a Sunday Mail Young Scot, and become used to hanging out with politicians and celebrities.
The first signs went up on the toilets at the Scottish Parliament. They have also been used in Edinburgh Airport, Arnold Clark showrooms and the new National Sports Training Centre at Largs.
The sign was inspired by her own experience of having to use disabled toilets so that her mum could come in to look after her – and from talking to Crohn’s campaigner Grace, 12, becomes ambassador for young people after designing signs for disabled toilets across the country adults with bowel conditions who might have to change their colostomy bag in a public toilet.
She said: “My social action has been through launching a campaign to help educate others about accessible needs.
“Grace’s Sign is a new sign for accessible toilets which will raise awareness that those who use an accessible toilet may not have a visible disability.
“It’s important for people to not judge what they can’t see – and have empathy for others.”
Jude reckons Grace will make the most of her experience as an iWill ambassador.
Cuts to youth mental health services in East Lothian, where the family live, is the next issue she plans to take up.
Jude said: “She’s got so many connections already and getting involved in the iWill campaign will mean it’s easier to approach these people. I hope that businesses and the government will back everything the young people are coming up with.”
After a rocky few months of tweaking Grace’s medication, Jude says her daughter’s condition is coming under control. No one knows what Grace’s future will look like, so Jude wants her to grab every chance that comes her way.
She said: “Some people with Crohn’s can’t hold down a full-time job, although others have a wonderful career.
“My thought as her mum is that she should just grab every opportunity she can. That’s what she’s doing.
“She has times when she hates that she’s got this disease – but it’s completely outweighed by the great things she’s done.”