Chinwag 2013 with Folks from Argyll and Beyond!

In October, Kilbowie Outdoor Centre, Oban was the setting for Chinwag 2013, the overnight follow-up to events in 2006, 07, 08 and 2010.

Folks gathered from Argyll areas including Oban, Dalmally, Kilmelford, Seil, Lochgilphead, Tobermory, Islay, Coll, Rothesay, Dunoon and Campbeltown. Through Chinwag links with the Rank YARN network, attendees also travelled from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Galashiels, Berwick and Girvan.

The primary aims of Chinwag are that youth workers, leaders and volunteers can come together to glean ideas and activities to use with their groups as well as taking part in the crucial networking act of ‘Chinwagging’.

We were privileged that Jim Sweeney, Chief executive of Youthlink Scotland, could join us to share some of the wider Scottish youth work picture and to encourage those gathered in their valuable work alongside young folk. 

41 participants spent Saturday & Sunday in workshops on Funding Fundamentals, Volunteering, Starting Youth Work from Scratch, Outdoor Art, Exploring young peoples’ rights and responsibilities, Managing Challenging Behaviour, Young People & Spirituality, Why Games?, Reflection, Social Enterprise, Youth Work in Church, Legal High Awareness, Pocket Tool Kit for Youth Workers and Evaluation.

Chinwag 2013 was also an opportunity for Ewen Munro to share the vision of RAY, Rural Argyll Youthwork, a notion supported by the Rank Foundation to encourage the growth of voluntary youth work in rural Argyll.

A BIG thank you goes out to all our workshop hosts, participants, Kilbowie Outdoor Centre and funders for helping to make Chinwag 2013 a resounding success.