We are just back from the 2019 Young Scotland Programme. What a great delegate group – so engaged and supportive throughout the event. At the awards ceremony on the final evening Ben Jones (Scottish Government) won the title Scotland Young Thinker of the Year 2019 for his 'thoughtful, deeply open and honest, touching and brave' paper on the growth on an unlikely friendship. It was described by the chief adjudicator as 'very powerful and humane, with a strong pay-off… delivered in a confident, conversational style'.

Rebekah Miller (Scottish Government) was runner-up with a 'considered paper which championed the worth of older people… delivered with poise and confidence'. Greg Paterson (Highlands and Islands Enterprise) was highly commended for his 'thorough deconstruction of the tactic of romanticising history to suit a modern agenda'. There were two commendations: Melissa Jeffrey (Scottish Government) for her passionate paper on the benefits of modern apprenticeships, and Abbie Purkis (Food Standards Scotland) on our attitudes to ageing.

The winning group was Group H (Kathryn Howell, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Ben Jones, Scottish Government, Amber Souter, Food Standards Scotland, and Lori Tait, Scottish Government) for their presentation on 'identity'; and the award for the Best 90 Second Challenge went to Leanne Garden (Food Standards Scotland) who asked the question: 'Do animals have a sense of humour?' Click here for photos from the programme.

Our next events – the Young Ireland Programme (November and January) and the Young Scotland and Northern Ireland Programme (January) are NOW FULLY BOOKED. We regret that we have no further spaces on these – email us if you would like priority booking for future events.

Meanwhile south of the border… the next Young England and Wales Programme will be held in February (25-27) in Lancaster. The booking period opens at the end of this month.