Fast Forward Shadow Board – Looking for new recruits

One of our core aims at Fast Forward is to ensure that our work is designed and developed with, by and for young people.

To that end, we are currently looking for young people to join our Shadow Board to inform and direct our work.

The Shadow Board is made up of young people aged 14-25 years old from a range of different backgrounds. We meet every 10-12 weeks for around two hours, with the focus being about informing the work of Fast Forward.

Shadow Board members take part in time-limited pieces of work that run alongside Shadow Board meetings. These small, yet important, projects give Shadow Board members an opportunity to develop their skills, knowledge and experience in a range of health related projects. Some examples of projects that Board members are currently involved with include:

• Public Health Scotland’s work being facilitated by Fast Forward, Young Scot and Youth Link, to develop a consensus statement on substances and substance misuse.

• Development of a national youth survey to capture the thoughts of young people across Scotland on risk-taking behaviours and the impact of those behaviours on their lives and those of their friends and local communities.

• Developing an Own It (https://pips.scot/own-its/) digital game designed to support other young people to understand their decision making processes, through the lens of risk taking behaviours

One of our current Shadow Board members, Tom Campbell has shared some his thoughts and experiences of being involved with the Fast Forward Shadow over the last couple of years.

Hi, I’m Tom Campbell, I’m eighteen years old, and I’ve been part of the Shadow Board since 2021. I’m currently studying Scots Law at the University of Glasgow with the aim of becoming a solicitor, and when possible I enjoy acting, hiking and visiting new places.

Why did you choose to get involved with the Fast Forward Shadow Board?

I sort of “fell into it” to be honest – I was asked for my view on the health issues currently affecting young people by someone who went on to become an employee of Fast Forward. I enjoyed this task and was enthusiastic to join in with more of the organisation’s work.

What do you particularly like, or find rewarding about being a Shadow Board member?

Being a member of the Shadow Board is rewarding as it lets you feel like you have some influence over how charities and other public bodies in Scotland approach the issues facing young people –you get your say in what matters. You also feel like the work you’re doing is improving other peoples’ lives.

If you were to describe your Shadow Board experience over the last couple of years to a potential new member, what would you say?

Being on the Shadow Board is really interesting, and, as a bonus, hardly takes up any of your time. Over the last year or so I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to Scotland-wide projects such as the Young Scot Youth Gambling Study (the Shadow Board provided feedback on the questions), learn new things by participating in a neuroscience training session, and gained the opportunity to become part of external work, such as a review of Scotland’s school examination system.

What issues would you like to see the Shadow Board focus on in the next year or two?

One problem I think is important for the Shadow Board to look into is the ongoing mental health crisis, which is affecting far too many young people across Scotland and the UK. It feels like support services are often difficult if not impossible to access. This may, in turn, be driving other risk taking behaviours, such as the consumption of alcohol, tobacco or drugs to self-medicate. Another major issue is the continued popularity of vaping among young people, which, while less harmful than smoking, can still be very addictive.

If you are interested in getting involved with the work of Fast Forward’s Shadow Board or would simply like some more information, contact Leigh Ronald: leigh@fastforward.org.uk