Gary Seath 12 months ago
Katy will lead a new exciting project in Fife which matches young people with a parent leaving the armed forces with a peer buddy to help make the transition to civilian life a little easier – from sharing lived experience and getting answers to important questions to friendships, fun-based activities, and much more.
We caught up with Katy to learn more about what inspired her to get involved as well as the knowledge, skills, and experiences she will bring to the role.
“Having made the transition with my own family, I have seen how difficult it can be for young people not only during the ‘military years’, but also transitioning into civilian life and how that changes their world; they can go through struggles and changes that very few can relate to or understand.
“When I read about the Ruby Boots project, I knew immediately that I wanted to be involved, and am thrilled that I have been given that opportunity. I love that the project has been co-produced by the young people themselves and this just shows how needed it is and how much it will be valued”
“I have been working with young people for many years now and from a wide range of backgrounds. I started as a secondary school music teacher and followed my husband (and the army) around the London areas for a while before relocating to Scotland.
“I have volunteered myself for a variety or organisations which provided experiences of being the volunteer, as well as more recently being a volunteer co-ordinator. I (alongside others) founded a charity recently with a focus on supporting neurodivergent children and their families and am the volunteer manager for that.
“With my personal and professional experiences, I hope to support all the future volunteers and service users for Forces Children Scotland and ensure that they feel valued, and keep their wellbeing at the heart of what we do.”
“This is a new project co-produced by a mixture young people from the military and veteran communities and I hope to do justice to their vision.
“I am really looking forward to seeing their ideas come to life and watch as stronger relationships are built between the communities and confidence grows between the young people. This will definitely be a journey that will have such a positive impact on all those involved”
Want to learn more about our Ruby Boots Project? Find out more by clicking the button below.
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