sportscotland is hosting ‘Lead to Succeed’ on Saturday 26 November, an event for young people to celebrate 10 years of two of sportscotland’s flagship National Lottery funded programmes for young leaders: the Young Ambassadors (YA) programme and the Young People’s Sport Panel (YPSP).
We caught up with former YPSP member Mark Gallacher to see where he is now and how his time on the panel has shaped him as an individual and some of the work he is involved in now.
The YPSP provides a national platform for young people across Scotland, and we are currently on the fifth panel. The role of the panel is to help influence and shape the future of sport in Scotland and to raise the profile of sport.
Joining the panel
Mark joined the second Young People’s Sport Panel in 2014 at 23 years old, one of the oldest on the panel at the time. He said:
“My initial feeling was this is a bit daunting; I didn’t take part in any sport at the time so I didn’t know what I could give to the panel. I was a manager in my work, I felt a bit out of place compared to the younger panel members.”
“I missed the initial residential too, and the first six months I felt a lot of doubt. I felt like I had the right to be there, but I just didn’t know what my role would be.”
Projects and opportunities
Mark got involved in some unique opportunities during his time on the panel. He highlighted:
“As I missed the initial residential, my first opportunity to get involved as a panel member was at the Commonwealth Games parade in 2014 in Glasgow. We met at the Kelvin Hall, and the First Minister and all the athletes were there. I remember being asked for an autograph outside afterwards – I think someone thought I was an athlete! We got VIP passes to the City Chambers afterwards which was a bit surreal.”
“I was also one of four panel members who got invited on a trip to Qatar for a sport conference. I met so many inspirational athletes, and I remember hearing from David Duke, the entrepreneur behind Street Soccer, and that was a major turning point for me on the panel because we had similar backgrounds.”
“I was then invited to the Raising Attainment conference in Edinburgh with a room full of head teachers. I sat on the panel and was interviewed by sportscotland CEO Stewart Harris, which was bizarre that he was interviewing me! I felt like there was quite a focus on me, as I didn’t have a huge amount of experience in sport, but I talked about my experience of being in gangs and how that made me feel part of something bigger. That was the first time I ever admitted I was part of a gang; it was a scary moment because I wasn’t sure what people would think of me, but it was a real turning point for me.”
Developing skills
There are various opportunities to develop skills by being involved on the Young People’s Sport Panel. Mark said:
“I developed my public speaking skills. I can now speak confidently, share my experiences, write articles and tell stories. I would never have done that before. I have gained so much confidence from the panel.”
“I feel like I can help change mindsets and challenge people a lot more now. I also learned a lot about campaigning, and I think it’s important to know that the audience is out there, you sometimes just need to shout a bit louder for people to hear you.”
Panel Highlights
“The Raising Attainment conference changed my life. The biggest tool I have in life is using my experience, I was ashamed of my past but after this I wasn’t. I am now happy to tell my story and I think that young people need something relatable to inspire them.”
“I love keeping in touch with other panel members as much as possible and following their work. It is great to see where they have all ended up now.”
“Going to Qatar was amazing. I had never even heard of the place before, I just got a call from a member of staff randomly asking me if I wanted to go and I just thought, why not?”
Where are you now?
“I now work as a senior children’s worker at Royston Youth Action based in the East End of Glasgow. It isn’t a sport specific programme, but we use sport as a tool to help engage kids in play, better their mental health and promote healthy eating.”
“I am also a Programme Manager for Beacon Warriors Charity two days a week, mainly working with schools.”
Advice to young leaders
“I didn’t realise there were doors to be opened and just needed a nudge in the right direction. Sport can give you that nudge you need, and staff at sportscotland are there to guide you through doors once you find them.”
“The other panel members will help and support you too. A lot of the stuff I see online these days is driven by young people, so it’s so important to use your voice.”
“No matter your background, there is a role for you to play and there is a population for you to represent.”
