Opportunity to join Highland Youth Local Action Group
Young people from across the Highlands are set to benefit from the opportunity to form a new Highland Youth Local Action Group (YLAG). The YLAG will be formed under the existing Highland Strategic Local Action Group (LAG), which is made up of cross-sector representatives and responsible for allocating the Highland Council’s Community-Led Local Development Funding.
Highland YLAG will bring together young people from across the Highland region interested in improving opportunities in rural areas. The group will be responsible for setting their own priorities and delivering a Youth Action Fund which will support youth initiatives across rural Highland promoting the YLAG’s priorities.
National YLAG workshop in Inverness at RYAN residential, credit: Mia Lalanne
At the end of May, the first Highland YLAG residential trip will bring together prospective YLAG members and learn from the experiences of the neighbouring Cairngorms YLAG. Highland YLAG will then set their own priorities and open their Youth Action Fund. The YLAG will then meet online to manage the fund by scoring applications & awarding grant allocations.
Across Scotland, YLAGs have enabled young people to be involved in decision making processes and empowered them to tackle pertinent social issues. Highland YLAG will join a national network of YLAGs, which have been successful in the Cairngorms, Orkney, Outer Hebrides, Forth Valley & Lomond, Fife and the Borders.
Highland YLAG is expected to distribute £25,000 in its first year to young people and organisations which work with young people in rural Highland. Members of the YLAG will be connected to their peers from around Highland and the national YLAG network.
At Scotland’s first Rural Youth Action Network Residential hosted in March 2025 in Inverness, the existing YLAGs came together to share their impact and explore future opportunities for collaboration, including at the upcoming European Rural Parliament taking place in Aberdeenshire in the Autumn.
Young people aged 16-30 living across Highland and interested in rural action are invited to express their interest in joining Highland YLAG to the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub by 30th April.
The initiative will be facilitated by the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub and the Highland Council’s Economic Regeneration Team, funded by the Scottish Government’s Community Led Local Development Fund.
National YLAG workshop in Inverness at RYAN residential, credit: Mia Lalanne
Joan Lawrie, Highlands and Islands Climate Hub CEO, commented:
“I’m thrilled that the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub can support the formation of a Highland Youth Local Action Group. It’s so important to amplify the voices of young people. To have support from experienced Youth Local Area Groups is an invaluable asset for my team too.
As a member of the Highland Local Action Group, I’m excited to see the Youth group develop a range of new skills which will set them up for their working life. They’ll learn about lived experiences of young people across Highland and the projects they’ve designed to address issues most important to them. While I’ll have a specific interest in any climate action related projects, applications will be welcome from a huge range of projects which bring people together to address local issues and improve their local environment or community.”
Ashleigh Coghill, Graduate Apprentice at the Highlands & Islands Climate Hub, commented:
“As a young person, the opportunity to form a YLAG in Highland is very exciting. Being empowered to tackle local issues through the Youth Action Fund will make progress in improving rural living according to the priorities of young people and attract others to the area to live and work.
Being able to meet other young people passionate about rural action, both local to Highland and through the wider Scottish YLAG network, is really positive as well to share our collective ambitions and generate momentum for rural action on a national stage.”