Chinwag 2014 - A place and a space for folks who work alongside young people.

Kilbowie Outdoor Centre in Oban was the location of the 2014 Chinwag event.

Chinwag, part of the Rural Argyll Youthwork (RAY) initiative, seeks to bring together folks from many aspects of young people's work to network and to be further equipped for the valuable work in which they are involved.

This year's event was attended by people from Argyll including Oban, Tarbert and Lochgilphead and through Rank Foundation connections from further afield, including Girvan, Glasgow, Berwickshire and Mallaig.

Plenary sessions included an inspirational scene-setting address by Rory MacLeod, Director of the CLD Standards Council of Scotland and Inspector Julie McLeish of Police Scotland who shared an overview of the work of Police Scotland with a particular focus on youth and community work.

In and amongst ample spaces to chinwag, the Chinwaggers selected up to four workshops over the two days from a bank of of fourteen choices. Workshops, hosted by a gathering of talented, widely experienced practitioners, included 'Starting in Youth Work', 'Reflective Practice', Developing Youth Work Skills', 'Using Art to Make a Start' and 'Perspectives on Christian Youth Work'. Workshop content included practical, hands-on tools as well as space to consider models and theories for use in the many different settings represented.

After an intensive Saturday, the evening involved a hearty meal together followed by a lighter mood, when Chinwaggers were encouraged to share resources, youth work experiences and training.

As can be seen from the images, much fun was had by all and the session on evaluation towards the end of the event certainly indicated that the folks gathered had gained much from their Chinwag experience.

A very big thank you must go to all who helped to put this year's Chinwag event together including the RAY team, Kilbowie Outdoor Centre, Argyll & Bute Youth Services for their funding support, The Rank Foundation and George Williams College.

Plans are already underway for future developments and it is intended to continue to provide training and networking opportunities throughout the year.