It is often said that that, like tea bags, we don’t know how strong we are until we’re in hot water.
That’s why Winning Scotland are committed to building confidence and resilience in all of Scotland’s young people.
If we can equip our young people with a ‘base layer’ of confidence and resilience, we can help prepare them for the challenges they are facing now, and will face in the future.
What challenges are young people facing ? Even before the pandemic, the challenges facing young people in Scotland were a cause for concern.
Many were failing to reach their educational potentia, with children from the poorest postcodes leaving school with significantly lower levels of attainment than their peers from more affluent areas.
After months of disruption to their education, and having been denied time with friends and family, young people are struggling.
One in four children said they were now behind in schoolwork in a BBC Newsround survey, while analysis by the Poverty Alliance shows the attainment gap has widened as a result of the disruptions.
Physical activity, a proven solution for coping with health and wellbeing issues, is dropping off. 57% of young people told BBC Newsround they have done less exercise than normal. Resilience is a teachable skill and at Winning Scotland, we are catalysing the development of a culture that empowers young people with mental toughness and self-confidence that will help them thrive in the face of life’s challenges.
