Stirling Champs Board Showcase Young Talent to Close Festival of Care
Members of the Champions Board during the lantern procession held to close the festival.
Stirling Council’s Champions Board took part in a lantern procession in the City Centre to mark the end of Stirling’s Tending the Light Festival of Care.
The festival was an opportunity for Stirling to showcase the talent and potential of its young people while underlining its commitment as a corporate parent to children, young people and adults with experience of the care system.
The lantern procession took place throughout the Mercat Cross area of the city centre (21 February) where various window displays created by the Champions Board for the festival were on display, including a three-metre recreation of the National Wallace Monument.
One of the window displays created by young people.
Stirling Council’s corporate parenting responsibilities and recent progress made to implement The Promise were discussed at a recent meeting of the Children and Young People Committee.
Committee Convener, Cllr Susan McGill said: “The work that went into carrying out the Tending the Light festival was a credit to the Champions Board and I’m delighted that the young people involved enjoyed the activities that were set up as part of the programme in spite of the weather disruption.
“Stirling Council remains committed to implementing the changes to the care system at a local level as envisaged in The Promise and I’m pleased with our progress in the early parts of this process. Every child has a right to feel loved and valued to support their development into adulthood. Our role as a corporate parent compels us to make decisions that take the best interests of all of our young people into account.”
Initiatives such as the Council’s mentoring programme as well as fostering and adoption services were promoted as part of the festival in addition to opportunities targeted at providing employment and volunteering experiences for young people in the care system.
Vice Convener, Cllr Christine Simpson said: “The potential of our young people is limitless and the Tending the Light Festival threw a spotlight on just how much they can achieve. It’s up to all of us to provide a nurturing environment to allow children and young people to thrive, and ensuring that we keep The Promise is vital to ensuring that this opportunity is afforded to all young people in Stirling.
“It’s still in the very early stages of implementation of the Stirling Promise Plan, but I’m confident that we as a Council will continue to fulfil our role as a corporate parent and ensure that the needs of our young people are at the forefront of our decisions going into the future.”
The event showcased the talents of local youngsters.