Two youth organisations in Moray have been nominated for the National Youth Work Awards 2019.
St Rufus Youth Group from Keith has been credited for its faith-based work while Elgin Youth Cafe Youth Team has been shortlisted for team of the year.
The Keith youth group is based at the St Rufus, Botriphnie and Grange Church and was praised for taking a modern approach to important issues affecting young people and for providing a safe, accepting place for local young people to explore their relationship with Christianity.
The Elgin Youth Cafe Youth Team was nominated after creating a project to help support young people throughout the region.
It offered a diverse range of term-time and holiday programmes, promoting mental health and wellbeing, giving young people real workplace skills in hospitality, administration and youth work, as well as larger community-based events.
Last year the youth work team spent hundreds of hours supporting the youth committee’s vision for ‘Inspiration Week’, an ambitious programme of events highlighting young local talent and inspiring young people to chase their dreams.
Commenting, Tim Frew, CEO of YouthLink Scotland said: “Over the last year we have seen some fantastic examples of youth work making an immense contribution to young people’s lives, illustrated by the great success that was Year of Young People 2018.
“In every part of Scotland, every day, thousands of youth workers, many of them volunteers, are supporting young people to follow their dreams and realise their potential, St Rufus Youth Group and the Elgin Youth Cafe Team are both great examples of the positive impact youth work has.”
The winners will be announced at an Awards dinner on Wednesday March 13 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Glasgow.