April Update!

Today is a good day. I got outside, had a (much needed) haircut and I met a good friend and old colleague I haven’t seen for maybe a year and a half.

Things felt kind of normal. Yes, we still had to socially distance and wear masks. We sanitised our hands and the coffee was table service only, but it does feel like we are coming back to reality. I’m reluctant to say “normal” or “new normal” because the definition of that changes day to day and person to person. However, there does seem to be some kind of light at the end of the tunnel if we can all continue to take the right safety measures and look out for each other, and this is really encouraging and kind of exciting.

Along with this venture into the real world, I’ve been assessing current Scottish Government and Youth Scotland guidance on youth work provision going forward. Hopefully, this will allow the Connect Alloa Trustee Team to decide how we are going to bring back face-to-face sessions in the future in a safe, secure and supportive way.

We are also currently in talks with St. Mungo’s Parish Church about how and when we can get back into the building for youth work sessions. In addition to this, we are also considering some outdoor options too! I for one can’t wait to engage with our young people in a blended model of online and face-to-face sessions so we can meet everyone’s needs.

These new developments also present the opportunity to extend our Volunteer and Trustee Team! We are going to introduce a rota system for our weekly sessions, hopefully allowing more people to join our group and share their ideas, expertise and experience with our already diverse team.

Great things are happening and will continue to happen with Connect Alloa, and I am excited for the future we are working towards together!

Have a great day and stay safe everyone!

I appreciate you,

Dave