CVSC - Farwell to Youth Led Grants Panel Members

Last month we’ve said goodbye to our wonderful volunteers from our CVSC Youth Led Grants panel: Teigan, Lucy, Ella, Bethan and Caitlyn.

Panel members play a vital part in the decision making process involving the administration of the CVSC Youth Led Grants. The last two years were very difficult for them as they were working hard to acheive their GCSE’s and A-levels during the coranovirus pandemic. Nevertheless, they made every effort to attend panel meetings and always brought lots of enthusiasm, fresh ideas and a unique point of view with them.

Working hard to improve our local community and the offer to young people, they reviewed many grant applications over the past few years, shared their valuble comments and made responsible decisions. The were always passionate about issues experienced by young people and wanted to make sure they funded the right projects.

They were also involved in the Bay of Colwyn Town Council Youth Participatory Budgeting process. It was an opportunity for the panel members to extend their experience, and to gain recognition in a civic and wider community setting. They took part in a planning meeting and designed the promotional poster. In January 2021 they joined an online session, to discuss and appraise the received applications before a voting event for local residents in February. They had their voices heard and made us really proud of how well they contributed to the discussions.

These young women have been champions of youth volunteering and helped us promote the value of involving young volunteers across the Third Sector. We were delighted to be able to invite them to Porter’s café in Colwyn Bay, for a little treat of cake and drink of their choice, and to present them with Certificates of Gratitude. It was such a pleasure to see them in real life after all these months, when we were only able to see each other through the screens of our laptops. We wish them all the very best at the start of their new journey, we have no doubt that they will do great things during their studies at their chosen universities and that bright futures are in front of them.

Teigan was our ‘veteran’ member. She joined the panel in 2017 and has been both a fantastic mentor for others, and an ambassador for volunteering. She said ‘I feel I have become a lot more confident since I started volunteering, I have met so many new people who are interested in things I’m interested in. Volunteering is something amazing and It can give you so many new skills and you can get a lot of new opportunities.’ Kasia from the CVSC Volunteering Team, managed to catch her just before going out to enjoy The Circus of Horrors show (and very much looking the part!) to present the certificate and thank Teigan for her commitment and contribution.