Brilliant Young Advisors lead the way at Reach 2026

Reach 2026: Respectful Empathetic Ambitious Confident Hopeful

Paving the way for International Women’s Day (IWD) this weekend, a brilliant all-girl Young Advisors team planned and ran the national young people event, Reach 2026 on Saturday.

Around 100 young people and youth workers from across Scotland travelled to a sunny Stirling for Reach 2026: Respectful Empathetic Ambitious Confident Hopeful. Reach is the annual celebration event for Generation CashBack, designed by young people for young people. Groups from across the Youth Scotland, Scouts Scotland, Girlguiding Scotland and Boys’ Brigade consortium took part in the event, which is funded by CashBack for Communities.

This year, the Young Advisors had decided on a theme of mental health and wellbeing. The advisory panel wanted delegates to be: Respectful Empathetic Ambitious Confident Hopeful. They planned the event for everyone to leave with:

• Better knowledge of Mental Health & Wellbeing

• More confident in their own feelings

• Have a chance to escape and be themselves

• Knowing some coping strategies

Young people enjoyed workshops in that theme, including: Mindful Movement in Nature: Stretching Body & Mind: designed to help build key wellbeing skills of taking notice and being active through a mindful outdoor experience; Fun Mental Games: getting active through a range of youth work games that encourage you to move around, explore mental health, wellbeing and have fun; Interactive Drama: Exploring Wellbeing Through Play; Feel Good: an interactive session, perfect for all young people to explore different ways to look after you; and Mental Health and Art: learn how to connect with your emotions through creativity, movement and fun!

Youth workers got in on the action and explored workshops on new activities and skills they could take back to use in their groups, including: Fun Interactive Drama: a relaxed and engaging workshop where simple drama activities, role-play and group games to explore mental health and wellbeing; Stop Action Filming: create, direct and edit a stop motion film—this fast-paced creative workshop gives workers everything they need to bring stories to life, frame by frame.

Finally, the Young Advisors then helped all delegates to complete the day’s achievements by presenting every young person with their Hi5 Award! Before heading home, friends old and new enjoyed the evening entertainment and games before heading back to their groups.

A huge thank you to CashBack for Communities making both Generation CashBack and Reach 2026 possible.

About Generation CashBack

Generation CashBack aims to ensure that young people from areas of deprivation and those experiencing disadvantage can benefit from high-quality community-based youth work and opportunities. The programme is delivered by a consortium of Youth Scotland, Scouts Scotland, Girlguiding Scotland, and the Boys’ Brigade, and funded by CashBack for Communities. Generation CashBack organisations work with member groups in areas of deprivation across Scotland.

Congratulations and thanks!

Another huge thank you and congratulations to the team of Young Advisors who brilliantly got the ball rolling and helped make the day a massive success!