Current status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has a dedicated strategy for enhancing youth work provision in rural and island communities to help stimulate local economies.
The Scottish Government recognises the valuable youth work provided to young people in rural and Island communities.
Each education authority is responsible for securing Community Learning and Development (CLD) in their area under the Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013, including in rural and island education authorities.
The 2013 Regulations require local authorities to plan and arrange the provision of CLD. In line with the Verity House Agreement, local authorities have the autonomy to deliver services that meet the assessed needs of young people in their areas.
Since 2021-2022, the Scottish Government have also provided grant funding to Youth Scotland to coordinate the Young Islanders Network which provides young people aged 5-25 years a safe space to express and discuss issues that affect their lives and their islands. Scottish Government are providing £119,400 in 2025-26 to support the network.
Young Islanders Network members have been closely involved in informing both the implementation of the current National Islands Plan, published in 2019, and the development of the new iteration of the plan.
In 2024-25, Scottish Government also provided £125k to the Rural Youth Action Network (RYAN) as a youth-led project, coordinated jointly by Scottish Rural Action (SRA) and Youth Scotland, to consolidate momentum behind a rural youth mobilisation and participation platform in Scotland.