A young person from Kilsyth has been announced as a Speak Out Champion for Girlguiding Scotland.
Holly Donaldson, 17, has been selected to act as a spokesperson and help shape the organisation’s advocacy work.
Holly is a young leader with the 3rd Kilsyth Rainbows and 2nd Kilsyth Brownies.
Alongside 20 fellow Speak Out Champions, she is working on Girlguiding Scotland’s manifesto ahead of the Holyrood election in 2026, to spotlight the key issues impacting girls and young women in Scotland.
‘An amazing opportunity’
Holly said: “I applied to be a Speak Out Champion for Girlguiding as I believe it’s really important to get our voices heard by people in power. It’s an amazing opportunity to do so while also making friends and networking with likeminded girls from across the country.
“It’s really important that we, as young people, are exposed to and are able to be a part of the conversation in politics, particularly in areas that directly affect young people.
“This is because young people often feel like they are dismissed and overlooked when it comes to decisions about their future and issues that directly affect them.”
“I believe it’s more important than ever that young people’s views are heard as they’ll have to live with the consequences of decisions.
Manifesto launch
Holly added: “I’m really excited for the manifesto to be launched in the next few months, as we have spent the last couple of months working hard to ensure it’s the best it could be.
“I’m also looking forward to speaking to politicians and decision-makers about why these issues are particularly important to young women and girls today and what they can do to solve them. This is why I became a Speak Out champion and I’m keen to see real and tangible change in the day-to-day lives of young women and girls across Scotland.”
Past Speak Out champions have been presented with some incredible opportunities, including meeting with the First Minister to discuss women in politics and the impact of social media on girls and young women, writing to MSPs about Scotland’s deposit return scheme and speaking about period poverty in the Scottish Parliament.
‘Skills for life’
Lead volunteer for Girl Voice, Katie Horsburgh, said: “Speak Out – Girlguiding Scotland’s youth voice panel – is a central part of our work to make sure that all girls know they can do anything.
“Working as a team across Scotland to make change on the issues that matter to them, our Speak Out Champions learn vital skills for life. It is so important for Dunbartonshire county to be represented on this panel.
“Effective policy cannot be made without the voices of those whose lives it impacts most, and we know girls’ voices have to be at the core.
“Our champions are powerful advocates for change, and we can’t wait to see everything they will achieve.”