South Ayrshire Council News

S6 pupils took part in a range of games and challenges designed to help them work on team building, problem solving and leadership skills.

A group of S6 pupils from Marr College and Queen Margaret and Ayr Academies gave up the first week of their school summer holidays to make a DVD highlighting the health and personal safety issues associated with alcohol misuse. Produced at the Fib Youth Theatre in Ayr, the DVD will be used as part of a peer education programme to help other young people.

It follows on from a highly successful programme of education on alcohol awareness, piloted by senior pupils in Prestwick Academy and Girvan Academy last year which will now be rolled out to S1 pupils in Queen Margaret Academy, Ayr Academy and Marr College in the new academic year.

Councillor John Hampton, Youth Champion for the Council said: "I commend these young volunteers for giving up part of their school holiday to create a DVD that will be used to educate other young people.

"When S1 pupils take part in the four week programme later this year they will be encouraged to look at their own attitudes to alcohol and how these might change as they get older. Importantly they will examine the factors which influence drinking patterns, how to keep themselves safe and how to develop the confidence and resilience skills need to adopt a positive lifestyle and a healthy attitude to alcohol.

"Misuse of alcohol can have serious consequences and has been responsible for ruining the lives of young people who would otherwise go on to lead full and fulfilling lives.

"The DVD will be a useful tool in emphasising to young people how to take a responsible attitude to alcohol and comes from young people themselves, so really hits home."

The peer education programme forms part of the Council's Youth Strategy on alcohol misuse and is linked to the work of the Youth Commission on Alcohol supported by Young Scot at the request of the Scottish Government.

The S6 volunteers will go on to develop a four week programme highlighting the health and personal safety issues associated with alcohol misuse. The programme will be delivered to first year pupils in the new academic year as part of their personal and social education programme.

To help them prepare for this, the volunteers spent time at Dolphin House where staff took them through a range of games and challenges designed to help them work on team building, problem solving, and leadership skills. They also looked at how they could positively encourage others to develop coping strategies based on confidence and resilience which would help them deal with the pressures that might otherwise result in alcohol misuse in later life.