As part of our 50th birthday celebrations, we asked MYSP Bertie Summers to reflect on the role of local government in supporting young people, and what it may look like in 50 years time.
Our council has now reached its 50th birthday. The Council was established in 1975 by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. After holding its first meeting on the 16th May 1975 1975, it is now one of Scotland’s 32 local authorities and one of the 382 local authorities in the United Kingdom.
As a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament who has lived in Shetland for the past ten years, I thought it would be best to write about the role of local government and decision making from the perspective of a young person.
I have spent the past few months as a member of Shetland Youth Voice. This is made up of different young people from all across Shetland, who sit on the Pupil Councils in each of their respective schools and voluntary organisations. Through a range of meetings and events held over the past few months, we have been aiming to expand the voices of today’s youth in our community, especially when it comes to local decision-making. This has been a great opportunity, and I think it’s very important for young people to be able to contribute in this way.
With regards to what the SIC does for the young people who live here, Shetland Islands Council provides children and teenagers with education, as most are regularly attending primary and secondary schooling.
The oil boom in the 1970s helped to transform Shetland’s local economy from a stagnating one into a thriving one. The money from this enabled investment in local facilities and resources, thanks to historic deals struck by local decision-makers at the time. Young people today still benefit from this, for example through access to excellent leisure facilities run by Shetland Recreational Trust. These include gyms and swimming pools, such as the Clickimin in Lerwick, and many smaller sporting venues in more remote villages.
Council run services, such as public transport, and the development work undertaken by Sports and Leisure help make sure that young people all over Shetland have access to these facilities and help support the local clubs and groups that keep our sporting scene thriving.
There is a unique sense of luck and pride in what we have up here, which stands in stark contrast to the severe lack of leisure facilities that people across the UK Mainland have been struggling with.
There are plenty of exciting careers with the Council for young people in Shetland. From working in ferries, to working in schools and right across the organisation.
Looking ahead 50 years, I won’t be surprised at all if a lot will have changed between now and then. I think that those using services run by the Council and those who are working in the Council will be significantly more reliant on modern technology in half a century from now than they currently are. The world has changed so much since 1975; goodness knows how things will end up changing between now and 2075.
As things stand, though, there are already different ways that young people in Shetland can get involved in shaping local government. Young people can join Shetland Youth Voice, stand as an MSYP and anyone who is aged 18 and over can stand for election in their community council or in the Shetland Islands Council. I would encourage anyone to put themselves forward and go and do it someday.
Local government brings so much value to communities such as ours. In an island community as remote and isolated as ours, we need to have strong local representation to ensure that our voices are being thoroughly heard at a regional and national level.
About the Author
Bertie Summers is a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MYSP) for Shetland. He took up his role in March 2024. Bertie is currently working for NHS Shetland. He is a member of the Scottish Youth Parliament’s Transport, Environment & Rural Affairs Committee. He is due to start university to study Journalism from September 2025.
Shetland Youth Voice
The Shetland Youth Voice is dedicated to empowering young people across the Island. The project aims to engage young people in meaningful participation within their communities, fostering leadership, advocacy, and positive change. By creating a platform where young individuals can express their ideas, opinions, and concerns, the project ensures that their voices are heard and valued in all aspects of community life. Find out more about the project on our website.
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