Welcome to #SYPlatform – the latest update on everything happening across SYP.
Despite the rainy days, January blues, and freezing temperatures, our MSYPs have started the new year in good spirits – from taking part in projects tackling the climate emergency and campaigning against gender-based violence, to flying all the way to Ireland for an international forum. 2026 is already proving to be a promising year!
Scroll down to see what we’ve been up to, and please give us a follow on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to keep up with all #SYProjects.
We participated in a parliamentary committee to talk about the environment
On Tuesday, 13 January, a few MSYPs represented Scotland’s young people at the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee to make sure their concerns are considered in the Climate Change Plan, which is currently being drafted.
The committee was established in June 2021, and since then it has focused on scrutinising the Scottish Government’s policies to meet climate change targets. They usually meet weekly on Tuesdays, and you can find more information here.
Well done to Islay Jackson, Hamish Nott, Matthew Gordon, Adan Howie, and Mairi Millar MSYPs, who spoke so brilliantly at the committee.
We sat down with Dundee City Council
Earlier this month, Jamail Umar and Jack Anderson MSYPs met with the Leader of Dundee City Council, Councillor Mark Flynn, to discuss the transport policies in our manifesto Dear Scotland’s Future. They also raised key issues young people have shared with them, including how local government engages with them and how this can be improved.
Excellent work, guys!
We launched the Young People & Policies report!
Last year, we teamed up with Young Scot and surveyed more than 400 young people from across Scotland to find out what they think about politics and their capacity to spot fake news online.
The report was launched on Wednesday, 16 January. It shows that 72% are aware that politics affects their lives, 82% believe it’s important to be involved, and only 2 in 5 feel they can influence decisions. These results aim to shed light on how young people perceive politics, particularly in the lead-up to the Scottish Parliament elections in May this year.
You can read the full report here.
We were invited to the launch of the Many Good Men documentary
Catriona Daw and Tazrian Tasmiah MSYPs, Convener and Deputy Convener of the Equality, Human Rights and Social Security Committee at SYP, were among the first people to watch the Many Good Men documentary and education resource, produced by Civic Digits.
This groundbreaking project explores the radicalisation of masculinity in digital spaces and the impact it has in spaces where young people interact. The topic aligns closely with our work on ending gender-based violence, highlighting the challenges young people face online, and the role schools, parents, and carers play in tackling misogyny.
We’re very proud of both Catriona and Tazrian.
We attended the Ireland-UK Youth Forum
Last week, we joined young delegates from Youth Scotland and travelled to Dublin to attend the Ireland-UK Youth Forum – an incredible opportunity to advocate for youth participation at an international level.
Our MSYPs took part in several discussions, focusing on mental health, the cost of living, and education. What’s more, they also worked on a series of recommendations for the Irish and British Governments, which will feed into a report for the UK-Ireland Leaders’ Summit in March.
During the same trip, Hamish Nott and Ella Quinn MSYPs, both members of our Board, spoke at the Youth Advisory Group, where they met with Norma Foley TD, Helen McEntee TD, and the British Ambassador to Ireland, Her Excellency Kara Owen.
Massive well done to the rest of the team for their advocacy and passion: Been Moore, Ellie Craig, Fatemah Ghanem, Isla Grimes, and Megan Travers MSYPs.
