Happy New Year everyone! As we look ahead to 2020, we are excited that our next programme (January, Troon) will bring together under one roof delegates from Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. Click here to meet the delegates. That is followed by the first Young England and Wales Programme of the year – Lancaster, 25th to 28th February – open now for booking. Click here for brochure with full details and booking form. And the 2020 Young Local Authority of the Year has just opened for booking. Teams of two from across the UK will gather in Lancaster for two days of exciting competition on 22 and 23 April. Click here for brochure and entry form.

Our 2019 calendar ended with the Young Ireland Programme – bringing Irish delegates to Scotland is always a highlight of our year and the 2019 delegate group lived up to all of our expectations (and more!). Their warmth, enthusiasm and mutual support contributed hugely to making this year's event a great success.

On the final evening Dearbhla Dunne from the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, was named Ireland Young Thinker of the Year. Niamh Dunne (Kildare County Council) took the runner-up title, Rob Buchanan (Fingal County Council) and Ashley Minogue (Office of the Information Commissioner) were jointly highly commended and Mary Mockler (Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland) was commended.

Group F – Anna Ciolkowska, Coillte, Sinead Martin, Kildare County Council, Aaron O'Sullivan, Department of Justice and Equality and Rebecca Ryder, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht – was the winning group in the Group Challenge for a presentation on 'courage'. Aaron also won the Best 90 Second Challenge with his question 'Niceness – is it underrated?' Click here for photos.