Press Release
13th August 2012
Shetland’s Amy Harper selected for Scotland’s Young People’s Sport Panel
Amy Harper, age 20 from Gulberwick, has won a coveted place on the Young People’s Sport Panel, a project run by sportscotland and Young Scot to promote the benefits of sport to young people across the country. Sports Panel members come from all over Scotland and its members all have one thing in common: an inspirational attitude towards sport.
The panel is part of a strategic partnership between sportscotland, the national agency for sport, and Young Scot, the national youth and information and citizenship charity. It is an exciting and unique opportunity to ensure Scotland’s younger generation play an active and significant role in influencing and shaping the future of sport in Scotland.
Following a series of interviews, 16 young people from across Scotland were selected by sportscotland and Young Scot to sit on the first Young People’s Sport Panel. The standard of the 180 applicants was incredibly high and is indicative of the talented and dedicated young people that are interested and involved in sport in Scotland.
Panel members will work together and on their own to influence the future of Scottish sport and help raise awareness of sport in Scotland. They will create online content, videos and blogs and share their sporting experiences, stories and case studies to help and inspire more young people to get involved in sport. In school and club sport they will provide their ideas, views and recommendations to both sportscotland and Young Scot to help shape the future of sport in Scotland.
With the Olympics recently finished and the Paralympics fast approaching, the Young People’s Sport Panel will be celebrating the Games by publishing stories of what they mean for the athletes, volunteers, spectators and members of the public. Keep checking the young people’s space on the Young Scot website, as well as sportscotland and Young Scot Facebook and twitter accounts to keep up to date with what the Young people’s sport panel is doing.
Amy Harper, said “I am really pleased to have been selected for this opportunity. The prospect of competing for only a handful of places with other young people from all over Scotland was at first quite daunting but when the interview tasks got underway I became more confident in the group and individual tasks. It showed me that young Shetlanders should never be overawed when getting involved with mainland projects – we have clearly got a lot to offer Scottish sport.”
Louise Jamieson, Active Schools Co-ordinator with Shetland Islands Council added, “we are really pleased Amy has stood out among hundreds of applicants and been selected for this opportunity. She can give Shetland sport a voice on Scotland’s Young People’s Sport Panel and our Sport and Leisure team are looking forward to mentoring Amy and supporting her with the projects and tasks she will be undertaking.”