GET IN - young Ambassadors campaign

It's been all engines go at work (yes I still have a job, even if temporary) and before I collapse after yet another eventful day which was all good but also rather exhausting, it's high time to show you a really highlight of Save the Children's work in the UK, and Scotland in particular. Because, you know, Save the Children doesn't just work abroad. You'll be forgiven for thinking that, but just to set the balance right, here's what happened in Scotland on Monday:

A group of teenagers had thought long and hard about what are the things affecting and even holding back young people growing up in poverty in Scotland. In their search to find a barrier for poor kids to achieving their full potential, they identified that it is often really hard to access leisure activities. There's the cost of the activities, there's the cost of travel involved. Maybe there's nothing available locally, or it's just too dear to get to or to get in. Leisure isn't just about a bit of fun, but really an important part of young people's lives. It's about socialising and keeping fit, development and something worthwhile to do. For those young people excluded from it because it's too dear, they are losing out on a lot.

The young people, who are the Scotland Ambassadors with Save the Children, came up with a solution: a discount card may help pave the way towards equal access to leisure. But, I hear you say (if you are in Scotland and know anything about young people), there's the Young Scot card already? Well, admittedly there is. How come then that lots of young people don't have one or don't use it? Once again, the Ambassadors identified why the Young Scot Card wasn't working for all young people and how it could possibly be improved.

On Monday, their GET IN Campaign was launched, at the Poverty Summit that they had organised and led. The summit brought together decision makers, movers and shakers and above all young people from various other projects that Save the Children is running in Scotland. While the Ambassadors presented their campaign and discount card idea in the "Dragon's Den" of politicians and Co., the other young people thought about how they could contribute to the campaign.

My personal high point was when children from both of the groups I currently work with grabbed the microphone out of my hands to stand up and present their ideas in front of an audience of about 70 adults in suits. As if it was the most natural thing to do. Sniff, it was rather moving seeing "my" 9 year olds telling it like it is.

This is meant to be the start and we need as much support as we can get to make the campaign a success and to move things forward. Please check out the Get In Campaing Facebook page and like it, share it amongst your networks. Tell any young people aged 11-19 and living in Scotland about the campaign survey (there's an iPod to be won!) because the more evidence of barriers around access to leisure the stronger the voice of the campaign will be.

And here they are in action, Scotland's Save the Children Ambassadors:

a trip to the big shiny lights or the one where mummy took the wrong train home

Today I was brave. I packed up Snowflake in her sling, took Cubling by the hand and left the house at 11.45 am destination City Centre. We were late, our idea was to make it to the children's theatre show "The Shoemaker and the Elves" for 12.30. Sometimes though, toddlers can cooperate and Cubling ran to the train station and from the train station to the Scottish Youth Theatre. We made it, just, but we did, at a speed which was equivalent to my normal childfree fast walking pace.

Cubling wasn't sure at first, all the darkness and so many people and children, then the props and strange people behaving oddly interacting with her. She clung to her mummy, until half way through the show, curiosity got the better of her and transformed her into her usual assertive self. She kind of took over ... I'm not sure where she's got that confidence and energy from, it's certainly not me. I find it rather amusing, cute, but sometimes, it's worrying. She'll make friends with strangers in no time and I can't get myself to give her a stranger danger talk, destroying that innocent trust in people that she has. Trust is a good thing, we don't trust enough and it's refreshing to see how trusting a 3 year old can be who hasn't been disappointed by life yet.

After a feeding three hungry mouth's break, we went on. Thanks to it being October week, there was also a music workshop for children on, one of the type that we had tried and dismissed when Cubling was 15 months. Then, she would not sit still or participate in circle activities, while moving all the time and generally causing disapproving looks and words. While I knew that she really enjoyed it, I didn't like the attitude towards my slightly more energetic toddler, and we didn't return. Now, she took control. She loved every second of it, participated in every suggested activity and watched the facilitators every move, listened to her every word, to get it just right. She was almost a bit overbearing in comparison to the quieter children. Ambivalently, I admired her and worried that she may become girl that may be a bit on the pushy side.
It is strange to see her confidence, it's so unlike my own toddler self.

So we had a bit of a culture shock in the Big City. When daddy came home, what did she remember of the day?
"I goed on the train! I walked into a door and banged my head! I had a slice of carrot cake! Then mummy took the wrong train home!"

So much for the fruits of the effort of dragging two kids into the Scottish Youth Theatre and the National Youth Choir for some theatre and music education. Sigh.