Moray youth worker shortlisted for prestigious national award
A Moray youth worker will attend a prestigious award ceremony in Glasgow next week, after being nominated for a national award recognising outstanding contributions to young people’s lives.
Alison Smith, who works across Milne’s High School and the wider community, has been shortlisted for Youth Worker of the Year at the National Youth Work Awards, in recognition of her work supporting young people who are disengaged from education.
For some young people in Moray, Alison is the reason they come to school at all.
Working with pupils who face barriers to attending or participating in school, she has been credited with helping rebuild confidence, improve attendance and helping young people look more positively at their own futures.
One group of S4 pupils she supported all went on to continue in education in some form, progressing into further learning, college or employability pathways.
She said her colleagues had nominated her for the award without her knowledge: “That means a lot to me – that they thought I was worthy of being put forward for something so prestigious. I’m incredibly grateful for that, and I’m still a little shocked to actually have been nominated.
“The whole youth work team does such incredible work, and I am privileged to be part of it.”
Chair of Moray Council’s Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee, Cllr Kathleen Robertson, said: “Alison has helped young people overcome barriers they may once have felt were impossible to overcome, supporting them to rebuild confidence, re-engage with education and look positively towards their future. She is a fantastic ambassador for youth work in Moray and an excellent example of the life-changing impact our youth workers have in communities across the region. I’d like to wish her the best of luck at the National Youth Work Awards.”
The ceremony will take place in Glasgow on Wednesday 3 June, bringing together youth work champions from across Scotland.