It’s easy for young people to feel overwhelmed or scared by everything they’re hearing about Covid-19 right now, and the need for specialised youth information has never been greater.  

The impact on young people is already visible. Some are unable to attend work, college or university. Other are already taking time off work or studies due to illness, self-isolation or caring for a loved one. For others, they are worried about school closures and what this means to their summer exams.  

In support, we have published quality-assured information on what's happening, the simple steps to take to help prevent catching Covid-19, and how to avoid spreading it to others. We also have information about what to do when feeling anxious or worried, and how to support others in the community. We are updating our website regularly and sharing this information on Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. 

The safety of our colleagues and the young people we support is our number one priority. We are taking advice from the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland and adjusting our working practices. This will ensure that we can continue to provide young people with the information and resources they need during these challenging times.   

We have deployed our organisational continuity plan to ensure that operations continue with minimal disruption. This will protect our staff, young people, stakeholders and the general public. Until further notice, we are making the following changes to our organisation:       

• Our entire team is now working remotely, and we are replacing external meetings with video conferencing. 

• We are reassigning staff who deliver our face-to-face engagement with young people to roles which support our Digital Information and Young Scot Co-design teams.  

• We are no longer running face-to-face Young Scot Co-design sessions with young people. These will now be run using video conferencing and other digital communication tools. 

• We are delaying the Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards 2020. The Awards will take place on Monday 7th September and will shine the brightest of lights on the fantastic contribution that young people are making to Scotland. 

We will provide regular updates on our work. In the meantime, please help us to reach as many young people as possible by Retweeting this information on what's happening. 

The weeks and months ahead will be incredibly challenging. Rest assured, Young Scot will not waver from our commitment to providing young people with the information they need to make informed decisions and choices during these unsettling times.  

Louise Macdonald OBE, CEO, Young Scot