SpeakOut WHO CARES? SCOTLAND MAGAZINE
HAPPY CAMPERS
From canyoning to colour running, football to friendships, slip’n’slide to sing song, find out what this year’s campers got up to at the WC?S Summer Camp 2015! SEE PAGES 12-13
PLUS!
LAURIE’S FACTS, GAMESTATION & SO JUNIOR!
SEPTEMBER 2015
AROUND THE WORLD READ ABOUT TONY’S EYE OPENING TRIP TO NEW ZEALAND P16
OPEN AYRSHIRE LEARN ABOUT AYRSHIRE’S LGBT YOUTH GROUP P11
CONTENTS
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
ss i st e t la e h t o t e m o lc e W ’s inside... t a h w t u o k c e Ch
Welcome to the latest issue of SpeakOut! The front cover shows WC?S’s second Summer Camp which was a roaring success, have a look at p12-13 for more pictures! Thank you to all of you who helped out with this issue of SpeakOut - whether you wrote an article yourself, reviewed something , cooked something or took part in one of the featured activities - this issue of SpeakOut is down to you. We here in the editorial
team love bringing your stories and SpeakOut to life! If you didn’t get to appear in this issue of the magazine, don’t worry there is always next time! As we say goodbye to summer, we hope that this issue of SpeakOut helps remind you of all the fun stuff you’ve been getting up to over the last couple of months! Take Care,
The Speak Out Team
Inside this issue
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2-3
Welcome
Lifestyle... 4 5 6-7 8 9 10
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Celebrating You Nations 1 Voice No Horsing Around Come Dine with Us Getting To Know… Reflections
News... 11 Open Ayrshire 12-13 Summer Camp 2015 14-15 Regional Roundup 16 Around the World
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Entertainment... 18
17 Laurie’s Facts 18 In Fashion 19 What’s Hot & What’s Not 20-21 Game Station
SO Junior... 22 23 24
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Animal Corner & Summer Holidays Joke Corner, Fun Facts & Moving on Up Contact Page
sue of SpeakOut
WELCOME
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
Say Hey to your Editorial team…
WANT TO SEE YOUR NAME IN PRINT?
We do! We love hearing from you, so please share your poems, stories, pictures, jokes or tell us about something you’ve done. SpeakOut needs you! So get involved.
LAURIE JULIE
KIERAN
@whocaresscot
Who Cares? Scotland Community
EUAN
kmacmillan@ whocaresscotland.org
KATIE
© Who Cares? Scotland 2015 Who Cares? Scotland is a registered charity SC 026076
BRAD
RAY
t x e n n i o j Want to ? m a e t l a i r o i ssue’s edit
tie – h with Ka c u to in t 489 e you, just g d.org / 07503 538 e v a h to n We’d love aresscotla n@whoc la il m c a km
5 Oswald St Glasgow G1 4QR Tel: 0141 226 4441 whocaresscotland.org The views expressed by the young people in this magazine are their own and not necessarily those of Who Cares? Scotland.
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CelebratingYou! LIFESTYLE
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
Celebrating you is a space for you guys to tell us what you’ve been gett ing up to and to share anything you proud of. We love getting stuff from might be really you, so please send in your poems, stori es, pictures, jokes or tell us about som you’ve done, your favourite hobby or ething a new pet, and we’ll include it in the next issue of SpeakOut.
Whart! a sta kmacmilla
n@whocaresscotland. org – 5 Oswald Street, Gla sgow, G1 4QR
Scooter Mad Gordon (11)
My name’s Gordon and I like scootering at the skate park. My favourite trick is bunny hopping off the air jump. I got my scooter a month ago and it cost £30. I advise people not to land on their front wheel too hard when they’re dropping in because the ball bearings can shatter this is what happened to my last scooter! Always have grip tape on the deck of the scooter and always wear a helmet for safety. I also really like fixing scooters because I like working with tools and taking things apart and fixing them. If you are a beginner always get your scooter checked.
Sandra (16), who lives at Brucefield Young Person’s Unit in Stirling, has been working hard over the past year to raise money for charity. She began by making loom bands and offering nail and make up sessions to staff and the other young people for a small donation. Through this she raised £50 which she donated to the local Cancer Research Shop (pictured). More recently she has taken part in the Race for Life event and raised another £100! Well done Sandra!
Safety First On the 15th July Burnside House staff and young people were put through their paces with cycle competency test and road safety awareness. Four staff members and three young people successfully passed all elements of the test and showed their cycling skills. This gave our young people a real sense of achievement and highlighted the dangers cyclists can come upon whilst out and about. The highlight, was not to see staff members look like luminous lollipops, but for one of our young people to learn to ride a bike and successfully pass the test. This enabled staff and young people to enjoy a safe cycle through the muddy terrain of Mugdoch Park in Milngavie. The newly passed cyclists travelled the
Home Sweet Home Codie talks about the bird house he recently made in his woodwork class. Pamela: How long did it take you? Codie: It took about three days, it was actually quite easy to make.
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three miles of track hastily, excited and frightened at times given some of the challenging areas that were explored on two wheels. The group finished off the cycle trip on part of the West Highland Way and then a real energy sapping cycle up a 20% incline. This was a real challenging course but by supporting and helping one and other everybody completed it unscathed, except for a small splash in a swamp taken by one of the young people but the less said about that the better!!
Codie (9)
Pamela: What tools did you use? Codie: I used a hammer, saw, screwdriver, nails and a tri square. Pamela: What are you going to do with
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Beginner’s should not try to do grinds, 360 tail whips or even tail whips as they are too difficult. And, don’t use your back brake too much or it will damage the back wheel and even make it square. Be confident and get scootering!
the finished masterpiece? Codie: I’m going to give to my mum and dad as a present. They will put it in the garden
Top work Codie!
LIFESTYLE
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
5 Nations,
1 Voice
If you’ve been to a Who Cares? Scotland event in the last 6 months, the chances are you might have heard the term ‘5 Nations, 1 Voice’, and if you came to our Summer Camp you were probably lucky enough to meet some representatives of 5 Nations 1 Voice! But if you’re still wondering what it is exactly, don’t worry, SpeakOut is here to tell you! 5 Nations, 1 Voice is a partnership between 5 charities from Great Britain and Ireland - Who Cares? Scotland, Voices of Young People in Care (VOYPIC, N.Ireland), EPIC (Empowering People in Care, R.Ireland) and Voices From Care (VFC, Wales) have united for the first time to raise awareness, carry out research and connect care experienced young people across the five nations. Check out this picture from Summer Camp – nearly all 5 of the Nations are represented here. The Who Cares? Trust unfortunately couldn’t make it to this year’s Camp but I hear they are extremely keen for next year! (Make sure you check out p12-13 to read about Leah and Cynthia from VOYPIC’s experience of Summer Camp.)
There are 3 key strands to this alliance: One of the most important parts of this project will be to help young people understand and feel more confident about their identity as a person with ‘care experience’. Evidence suggests that any progress that has been made so far has been led by young people speaking out, without feeling shame or stigma, and challenging the myths that surround the care sector and the young people who are raised within it.
Care ID
National ‘Care Day’
Organising an annual celebratory events that will bring care experienced young people together all over Great Britain and Ireland.
The partnership strongly believes that care experienced young people should have the same opportunities as their non-care experienced peers, and that this should be recognised and supported by all 5 legal bodies.
Protected Characteristic
Next for 5 Nations, 1 Voice is a residential trip held here in Scotland where ambassadors from each Nation will gather to plan the coming year’s activity for 5N1V! Look out for an update in the next issue of SpeakOut.
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g n i s r o H No Around! LIFESTYLE
Ciara (15) introduces us to Johnboy the horse and tells us why it’s no mean feat looking after him...
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
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J
ohnboy is actually a nickname. Johnboy’s official name is Romley Black Magic and he is a stallion, which means he is still able to mate with a female horse and produce foals (baby horses). Johnboy is owned by a lady called Helen and I have been helping to care for him for nearly two years now. I find spending time with horses relaxing. Stallions are often quite bossy, powerful horses and at first I was frightened of Johnboy. I’m not now though and that’s good because it’s important to be confident with horses. If you are nervous it makes them frightened and harder to handle. If you are confident they trust you to look after them and they respond well. I’ve been having riding lessons for about a month. I hope to get a work experience placement helping to care for police horses and would like to work with horses in the future. You can get qualifications in stable management and can go on to be an instructor and own your own yard.
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Ciara “poop-scooping” Johnboy’s stable. Ciara says: ‘Johnboy sleeps on a dust/straw bed, which needs to be mucked out every day so that he has a clean place to rest. Although in the summer months he might spend weeks at a time out in the field and not come in to his stable to sleep.’
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Ciara and Johnboy out in the field. Ciara says: ‘Because Johnboy is black he attracts the sun. On a hot day we bath him with a hose and tea tree oil to keep him cool. Although he doesn’t stay clean for long as he rolls on the ground to scratch himself and cover his coat in moist mud, which protects him from horse flies and insects.’
LIFESTYLE
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
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Ciara preparing Johnboy’s breakfast. Ciara says : ‘Johnboy Mainly eats sugar beet, chaff and apples and drinks water.’
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Ciara brushes Johnboy’s coat, his mane (which is the hair that grows down his neck) and forelock (the bit of hair that looks like a fringe) to clear all the dirt and dust from him, this is called grooming. Ciara says: ‘Grooming doesn’t just help keep Johnboy clean, it helps us to bond and build our relationship.’
Ciara checks there is no dirt or any stones caught in Johnboys feet, which might make them sore. Then she paints his hoofs with oil, which keeps them moisturised and in good condition.
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Johnboy is a hackney stallion, which means he is very rare. The taxis in London are called hackney cabs because they took over the work of the hackney horses, which used to carry people around in their carriages. Ciara says: ‘Johnboy enjoys being ridden and pulling his cart and driving the cart is my favourite thing to do.’
Ciara preparing Johnyboy to pull his cart. This is called tacking and yoking up. Ciara says: ‘The bits beside his eyes are part of his bridal. They make it so that Johnboy can only see in front of him, which helps keep him calm when we are out on the road.’
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LIFESTYLE
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
Come dine with us!
r nald Walke ere YPW Do ’s il e out Ron finds out ab Plan nt Cooking Independe an and sidents, Aid and asks re cooking th 17), why Thomas (bo learn. ant skill to is an import
H
Why are you guys cooking and not just eating what Paul (House Chef) prepares and cooks? TK - Its part of our plan towards independence as we will need to cook for ourselves one day, it’s an important skill to learn. AC -Yes, it’s important, however l think buying fresh produce can be quite expensive and l don’t think l will cook like this every night when l have my own place. So lads what’s on the menu this evening? AC - Steak and chips. TK - Beef Stir Fry. So how does the independent cooking plan work? AC & TK - We are given £13 and from this we need to plan, budget, purchase and cook 3 meals. We are encouraged to buy fresh produce and Paul gives tips and advice on how to cook different meals. Okay Guys, l’ll set the scene… You have the love of your life coming for dinner, you want to impress her, you need to pull it out the bag…. what are you going to make her? AC - Steak and chips/ Pasta dish. TK - Chicken Stirfry. I said you want to impress her….! AC & TK - (Awkward stare from both lads..) DW - Only kidding! So lads, what are the ingredients of your fine meals? AC - 1 x Steak, chips and chilli & ginger seasoning, basil and garlic salt. TK - Rice (courtesy of Uncle Ben!!), Beef strips, 1 x jar of chilli & red pepper sauce, onion, spring onion and red/green pepper. DW – Lad’s it’s been a pleasure, it always is, thank you for your time and hospitality … Do we not need to do the taste test?? TK - (Provides a small plate with some of his beef stir fry..) DW - Lovely… AC - No chance!!
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Head chef Paul had this to say about Aidan and Thomas: Both of the lads have really embraced the independent cooking now that they are participating 3 nights a week. We don’t expe ct the young people to cook over the weekend as we encourage more focus on the weekdays. These guys are settin g the example for the younger ones and we hope this will encourage them to get involved as they progress towards independence.
LIFESTYLE
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
Meet your Advocates Y
vonne Mcintosh is the Young Person’s Worker for East Dunbartonshire and Spark of Genius and she has worked at WC?S for almost 3 years. Fun Fact – Yvonne has held a baby panda whilst visiting China. If you’re from East Dunbartonshire or Spark of Genius and you would like an advocate, you can get in touch with Yvonne on 07540 823286. If you’re from somewhere else in Scotland and would like to speak to someone just have a look at the back page of this magazine where you can find the numbers for all our YPWs.
How would you describe the role of an Independent Advocate with Who Cares? Scotland?
For me, my role is about empowering young people, giving them the opportunity to feel confident and comfortable to speak out for the themselves: to really say what they think and feel and be involved in g buildin about It’s lives. their effects planning and decision making that life their in e someon them gives that a relationship with a young person they can trust and speak about important issues with.
What does a typical day look like for you?
A typical day for me would be supporting a young person to prepare for and attend meetings such as reviews and hearings. It’s important to ensure young people are given the opportunity to confidently discuss all that they want to in these situations. Building relationships is key to being an advocate, so I spend a lot of time visiting young people. Lastly, another important part of my role is being able to respond to a young person in need of advocacy support at short notice and to ensure they know I’m there for them.
Outside your typical work, what else does your role involve?
I also provide young people with opportunities to connect with their friends and to feel part of something. Through participating in things like in events, group work and activities - young people have the opportunity to share their experiences. I’m proud to have helped young people be involved in creating wider change, such as the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. Together, these opportunities enable young people to thrive and feel that they can make a difference - that their voices will be heard.
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LIFESTYLE
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
Reflections Laura Beveridge, Alumni Member and newly appointed Development Officer for WC?S, reflects on her care journey and how happiness is a decision she made.
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hen I look back at my care experience I have no regrets because I believe all that suffering was for a reason.
I spent many years living with different people, each time I moved I trusted a little less and got more and more angry. The hardest thing about my journey was that I didn’t trust anyone, this made me feel very isolated and alone. I couldn’t accept anyone that encouraged and believed in me. I waited on them pulling the rug from under me. I expected that people would let me down so I deliberately sabotaged relationships. At my lowest point when I was homeless and used drugs and alcohol to cope, I looked in the mirror and wondered “how do I fix this broken mess?”. I felt lost for a long time, until the day I took the decision to make things right and fight for the life I wanted. A life I was in control of. I took baby steps like making a phone call to housing, a phone call to school, stop self-harming and start talking to my grandparents and really listen to my children’s rights worker, who had been right there with me in the last few years of my care journey. In a short few months I started to feel better, I had a settled place to live and went back to school. I found new friends and started getting qualifications. I got a job and felt excited about the future! I asked myself what I could do next. My career choice had to be in the care system. I wanted to help others achieve their dreams.
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I have now been working with young people and their families for 10 years and it’s been a massive learning experience for me, both on both a personal and professional level. I used the training I had been given to explore my own feelings and make sense of my childhood. I kept my care identity hidden because I was scared of being judged. During this time I got married, bought my first house and had a baby girl. There are times that I go back into fight/flight mode during times of change, like moving house, but I know I’m ok and safe. I distract myself with other things like exercise, writing and I try to talk things through more. Anger no longer controls me because I decided not to let it. I decided to come out the care closet in May this year and it has been an incredible experience. It has given hope to the young people I care for. I’m not scared of owning my care identity anymore because it’s part of who I am. Happiness is a decision I made. I focus on doing what I love, having fun and spending time with my wee family. To all of you in my care family, I’d like to ask you what your dream is? Then encourage you to go out there and do it! I remember dreaming of visiting Walt Disney World with my family and with a lot of determination and hard work I did it! And so can you! Never give up on yourself because your dreams are just a few decisions away from you.
NEWS & EVENTS
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
Open Ayrshire Kieran tells us about the benefits of Open Ayrshire, the youth group which provides a safe space for local LGBT young people.
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hen I was asked in 2015 to come along to an event and staff an information stall for Who Cares? Scotland, I was excited, not because I was going to be staffing a stall for four hours, but because we were there to celebrate the 2nd Anniversary of the Open Ayrshire LGBT Group. The Open Ayrshire Group is made up of 30 LGBT Young People who come along to weekly group meetings in the local college, which is a step up from the dozen who had attended the 1st Anniversary Celebration and the mere handful that had started the group.
This group I saw was close knit and they were obviously all friends who enjoyed each other’s company which just made the atmosphere amazing the minute I walked in. I was inspired by the members of this group - they came across as a bunch of down to earth, every-day, young people, but a bunch of young people who had seen a gap in the Ayrshire community and instead of simply moaning about it they actually did something, and boom Open Ayrshire was born. A safe space for all LGBT Young People to come and be in the company of others who understand the difficulties they face, who know the script and who understand, in a way someone who isn’t in the same situation just can’t. These young people come along to Open Ayrshire to socialise but more importantly for moral support and to not feel judged for being who they are. That for me is something so special
and incredible. And which didn’t exist for me as a gay kid in care. I didn’t know any other gay people when I was younger and it would have been nice to know I wasn’t the only person going through the crap I was for being who I was. The event I have to admit went by in a bit of a blur - there were other stalls, tea and coffee was flowing, there was mingling and there was absolutely a buffet! A really moving drama performance was put on by the group which brought the event to a close. Sitting on the train on my way home, something struck me – the fact that a group like this totally amazing youth led LGBT group isn’t something that’s available to every single young person who identifies as LGBT. There are LBGT young people all around the world who don’t have access to the kind of support and validation made available to the young people who attend Open Ayrshire. I feel privileged. Over the next few months the group have agreed to let me sit in on some weekly meetings which I’m thrilled about, because Open Ayrshire can teach us something valuable, they can let us know how we can support the thousands of LGBT Care Experienced Young People in Scotland, how we can help them and support them to become all they can be.
Check out www.lgbtyouth.org.uk to find your local youth group.
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NEWS & EVENTS
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
SUMMER C Leah (19) & Cynthia (18), representatives of VOYPIC, Northern Ireland’s equivalent of Who Cares? Scotland, tell us about their first trip to Scotland and their experience at the 16-19 Who Cares? Scotland Summer Camp 2015.
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ho Cares? Scotland’s Summer Camp sounded a very adventurous, entertaining and educating event and one we certainly all looked forward to. Nevertheless, nothing could have prepared us for the outpouring of heartfelt passion and sincere kindness we experienced. From the moment we arrived it was obvious that the staff and volunteers from WC?S and SSC had put a huge amount of work and effort into the organisation of the camp. It was also clear how passionate everyone was about creating positive memories for all the young people - many of whom had had a negative care experience. All the young people were excited about the 4 days and even not having mobile signal didn’t prove to be a problem - we all had so much fun with each other that we didn’t even think about phones! We were all a little Team building was definitely nervous at the prospect the focus of the first day, of sleeping in tents in the and there were plenty group Scottish highlands and activities on offer to give seeing what bathroom everyone the opportunity facilities we would have, or to get to know each other. not have! And no-one was Returning campers were more vocal about his fears reunited whilst the ice was broken among newcomers than our very own staff member Owen! like us. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, we never once felt left out or on the outside. The whole group was like one From right to left; big family Cynthia, Leah and with their pal Coalhin
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everyone looking out for each other. The range of activities was brilliant - the nightly singsong highlighted the range of talents that lay among the young people, and was thoroughly enjoyable. For me (Cynthia) this was my favourite part because it showed how wrong the stereotypes are that exist for kids in care these young people were extremely talented! For me (Leah) the cliff jumping trip was my favourite part, probably because I am a bit of a dare devil!! The colour run proved a major hit with everyone as it was very satisfying to cover each other with coloured powder paint. River punishments were another popular part of camp, well usually not with the person being made to jump in the freezing cold river! There are a few people from camp that we would like to mention. Euan is a born entertainer
and leader, who is never stuck for words! Duncan is such a kind-hearted person who would do anything for anybody. Liam is our new Scottish buddy who is so clearly addicted to selfies we love you Liam, we do.
We can honestly say that the WC?S camp was one of the best experiences we’ve ever had. The staff did everything they could to make sure everyone had a good time whilst also educating us on things like Corporate Parenting and campaigning, but above all they had time for everyone, no matter how trivial you thought your question or problem was. WC?S look after young people but also try to relate to them, not once at camp were we made, as young people, feel inferior. The WC?S camp was a special place to connect with other care experienced young people and caring members of staff. The only thing left to say is thank you. From the bottom of our heart, thank you for involving us in Camp 2015. We’re already counting down the days till Camp 2016!
NEWS & EVENTS
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
CAMP 2015 Arriving at camp
Water based activities, not for the fainthearted!
Campers learnt more about WC?S through the medium of sock puppets
What a colourfu
l bunch!
d yins v. The annual ol ball game ot fo young yins aw, and ended in a dr ded the river! everyone avoi
Crease! The Muiscal. Coming to theatres near you!
I like the flowers, I like the daffodils...
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NEWS & EVENTS
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
nal Regio nal o i g Re Laurie
Ray
Regional Roundup brought to you by your 4 favourite Development Officers - Laurie, Ray, Julie & Euan. Let’s see what the Who Cares? Scotland Family has been up to over the summer months.
CENTRAL – LAURIE
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e were lucky enough to be asked by Police Scotland to help them get young people’s views on the police and stopand-search policies. We supported 7 young people to attend a meeting at Tulliallan Police College where they spoke to the police about how best to communicate with young people. Everyone involved learned a lot, and as Corporate Parents the police are keen to work with us more. There were some unexpected added bonuses too – not only did we get to see our very own Ray get arrested in a drama role-play, we got to try on the police uniforms and we even got a tour of the amazing campus!
Julie
Euan
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ow that summer’s almost over, it’s that time of year where we need to start planning our next big event… our Time to Shine festival! This year it will be held on Saturday 31st October in Maryhill Community Central Hall, Glasgow. We held our first Festival Planning Group in August, where we got young people’s ideas about what sort of venue to book, what activities to have, and the theme of the festival! Can you guess what theme we decided on from the pictures? To find out how to get involved with groups or activities in central Scotland, contact Laurie on 0141 226 4441.
NORTH – EUAN
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e recently teamed up with care experienced young people from Highland council to run the biggest event about care in the North’s history! The event, called “Chat for Change!” featured all kinds of workshops, speakers and a performance. Read all about it in the next issue of SpeakOut. Young people in Moray have also been showing off their skills in our
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monthly group at Elgin Youth Café. In August we had a fantastic night of games, food and live music from our very own James Ferguson (the 14 year old humble rockstar)! We’re teaming up with Moray Council to run a special mini-festival during National Care Leavers Week. Look out for big things from this crew! The Western Isles group still meets every 4-6 weeks and in May they
travelled to the most North-westerly point of Scotland to go bowling (best views in the world too)! We recently started a brand new group in Oban! Like everything else we do, this is a fun, monthly group for young people who want to make new friends and get involved with WC?S. To find out how to get involved with groups or activities in the North, contact Euan: 07793447250
p -U d n u d-Up Roun o R NEWS & EVENTS
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
SOUTH – JULIE
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harity, our YPW for East Ayrshire has recently supported young people aged between 9-18 to assess candidates for various roles within children’s houses in her area. East Ayrshire Children and Families Services continue to encourage care-experienced young people to play a part in the recruitment of new staff.
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group of care leavers form West Dunbartonshire met recently for a BBQ . They discussed the importance of speaking up to influence change that would make being in care better. Our article will feature in the next issue !
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enfrewshire Champions Board recently attended a Fire Reach day hosted by Paisley Fire and Rescue. The young people participated in a range of fire safety activities including hose drills and searching for a body in a mock burning room. They were awarded certificates on completing the days training. This is a great example of our Corporate Parents getting engaged with us in a fun way!
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oung people from the South Ayrshire Foster group had a fun day out to Dean Park in Kilmarnock. They took part in the Park Ranger’s Wild Wednesday Walk which meant walking the woods looking for animal poo and identifying what animal it belonged to! Afterwards they had a nice lunch, spent some time on the assault course and even met the new baby llama.
To find out how to get involved with groups or activities in south Scotland, contact Julie on 07769 326 101.
EAST – RAY
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he East team are set to welcome 3 new members to our team, including; Leah and Paul, our YPW’s for Dundee; Laura, our Alumni member turned Development Officer (You can read Laura’s Reflections on her care journey on p16) and Heather, our new Participation Assistant. Care Visions Consultation - we worked hard with Care Visions to allow as many young people as possible to participate in their annual survey which this year they held at Edinburgh Zoo. The survey asked how they felt about Care Visions and the setting up of a Care Forum. All our young people made really valuable contributions and afterwards enjoyed full access to the Zoo! Keep your eyes peeled for any future consultations WC?S help with, the perks are usually pretty good! in To find out how to get involved with groups or activities 816. 327 the east of Scotland, contact Ray on 07769
to start a Would like us ur area? yo new group in to your Please speak fficer O Development PW. Plus Y l a c lo r u o y r o like our make sure you to keep e Facebook pag how you h up to date wit ed with can get involv WC?S. W H O CA R E S? S COT LA N D
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NEWS & EVENTS
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
Around the World In March this year, our very own Ambassador Tony MacDonald got to jet off to the other side of the world to see how young people experience care in New Zealand. These are his reflections…
Let’s start from the start… How come you got the chance to go to New Zealand? Duncan (Chief Exec of WC?S) phoned me up one night out the blue and asked if I wanted to go to New Zealand with him, I said “aye” and that was it! At the time I didn’t know where New Zealand was or what I’d be doing! It turned out the children’s minister of New Zealand visited Scotland and was impressed with the work WC?S was doing, especially how we had helped change the law through the Children and Young People Act, so she invited me and Duncan over to New Zealand.
So what was your role out there? Basically the same thing I do here as an Ambassador – I went around different places speaking to young people and professionals about the work that Who Cares? Scotland does, and learning about the New Zealand care system.
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What are the differences between the care system in Scotland and New Zealand? Some things are better and some things are worse. I visited a secure unit that was like a jail, it was horrible. It was just concrete rooms with mattresses on the floor. There was a radio which was built into the wall, but you could only use it if you were good. It was worse than any secure unit I’ve seen in Scotland. On the other hand, I went to a place called the Dingwall Trust – it was a bit like Kibble, with lots of different services under one roof. They had these “family homes”, where groups of young people lived together in a big community. There was a big trampoline in the garden and a park for them to play rugby in. The staff were totally amazing too – they created a really good atmosphere. There was one staff member, Chris, who stays there full time – he gets 6 or 7 kids ready for school every morning and then cooks them dinner when they get back which they all sit down and eat together. I thought that was a great system – I’ve never seen anywhere like that in Scotland. The kids didn’t call staff “staff”, they were just people who really cared about them. When the young people are ready to leave, they know they can always come back for support – just like a family.
What were the young people like? Amazing - I was out playing football and rugby with them every day! Sometimes they didn’t understand me though, if I was telling them my plans for the day – I was like, “I might go doon the toon” and they would ask “What does that mean?”. They were always in stitches over my accent and liked getting me to say different words! We had a good laugh.
What’s the main thing you learned from the experience? That Scotland could learn a lot from the Dingwall Trust! We’ve done a lot with changing the law, and New Zealand hasn’t achieved anything like that, but without a law being changed they’ve managed to create a really positive culture in places like the Dingwall Trust.. Is there any other country you’d like to visit to learn about their care system? I’d love to go to Africa. It’s so different to Scotland, I’d like to go over there and see how their care system works and how they help their young people.
s ’ e i r u a L Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
ENTERTAINMENT
Facts
PLUTO My Very Eager Mother Just Served Up Nine Pizzas.
That’s the wee saying I was taught when I was little(r) to remember the order of the nine planets in the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto. But one day in 2006, something devastating happened to Pluto, the Pizza of our solar system. Astronomers (people who get to study space for a living – why is that not my job?!) noticed that Pluto was so teeny-tiny, it could not clear other objects out of its path, like other planets can.
Astronomers had to re-think what the definition of a planet actually was – and as a result, Pluto was no longer considered a planet. It was downgraded to a dwarf planet. Sorry, Pluto L However, all is not lost for our wee planetary friend. In July this year, American space agency NASA’s spacecraft called New Horizons completed a 3-billion-mile journey across the Solar System and performed a flyby of Pluto, bringing it back into Space News and providing us with beautiful never-seen-before images of the far-away rock.
Get your geeky fill from our resident geek Laurie,as she teaches us something sc ientifically spectacular each issue!
New Horizons is the only spacecraft to have visited Pluto, and it took 9 years to get there! Here are some facts in honour of our favourite dwarf planet at the edge of our solar system: • Pluto was discovered in 1930, and given its name by an 11 year old schoolgirl from Oxford in England. She suggested that the planet be named after the Roman god of the underworld. • Pluto has five moons (that we know of!) • It takes Pluto 248½ years to complete its orbit round the Sun. The Earth takes one year. • Because it’s so far away from the sun (40 times further away than Earth is), the surface of Pluto is covered in ice and it’s freezing cold –MINUS 230 degrees to be exact. You’ll never complain about Scottish weather again… NASA are now working to download the tons of data they collected from the New Horizons mission – keep an eye on their website (www.nasa. gov) for updates and awesome astronomical pictures! My main concern is that now I’ll have to come up with a new phrase to remember the order of the planets. Do you have any suggestions?? Send them in!
urie Do you have a topic you’d like La ailing to write about? Ask Laurie by em g her – lreid@whocares sc otland.or
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In Fashion ENTERTAINMENT
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
Who Cares? Scotland’s resident fashionista, Kieran McWhirter, tells us how it is…
Merman Hair S
o at the time the last issue of Speak Out was published Silver Hair was all the rage everyone who was anyone had died themselves every shade of it and your Granny wanted to know if the fact she had been rocking the look since 1984 made her a trendsetter… it didn’t btw. No doubt solely on what you read between these pages legions of you ran to your nearest salon (because box dies are never ok, let’s just establish that!) and told them to make you look silver and fierce. HOWEVER, tastes and trends are fickle things and we have quickly moved onto the next big thing and IT. IS. FABULOUS. We are talking not just one glorious colour but limitless rainbow hued possibilities!! I am of course talking about Merman Hair. #MermanHair has been trending globally for the past few months and you can see why – it’s fun, it’s exciting and it looks incredibly liberating. It’s the biggest thing in men’s fashion at the moment, featuring in recent runway shows
for Dior, Marc Jacobs, Givenchy and Calvin Klein amongst others. In an age where men’s fashion is becoming ever more androgynous and men themselves are spending as much time and money as women on their appearance, Merman Hair fits into that lifestyle. At this point I would like to point out for the record that my hair has been variations of pink and purple since 2013 #foreveratrendsetter.
e m a h S f o e l c Red Cir Green hair! When your (ex)fiancé doesn’t want to be photographed with you, that should be considered a hint. 18
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Overly patterned shirts! I mean making Alfie Moon off of Eastenders your fashion icon was never going to end well. Our very own Kevin, Ray and Jamie ladies and gentlemen!
New to SpeakO ut is the Red Circle of Shame – Mr Mcwhirter picks one guilty celebrity and one guilty WC?S culp rit (well in this case 3!) Gu ilty of what you might ask? Crimes against fashion!
ENTERTAINMENT
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
What’s HOT &What’s NOT ED’S EASY DINER
RESTAURANT REVIEW:
Allison (11) went to Ed’s Easy Diner in Edinburgh and had a great experience at this 1950’s style American diner.
Good Stuff The little juke box on each table. It costs 20p to choose a song. All the songs are from the 50’s. The milk shakes were brilliant. I chose butterscotch and managed to get three glasses out of it. You can get one portion of food called a solo or a full plate which includes coleslaw, onion rings, chips. The menu is very clear and there is a lot
on it. There are also special offers on each day. When I was in I chose an original chicken burger plate without lettuce. It was yummy. Susan my WhoCares? worker had a hot dog on its own and it was huge. She said it tasted great. Bad Stuff The hot dog was covered in tomato ketchup and mustard
: S W E I V E R E M GA RIDE:
Robbie on ‘Ride’… ‘Ride’ is quite good because you can customise your own characters and their bikes, which are known brands but you can still add on extras. I also like that there is no set storyline , you can just choose the races you 5 STARS want to take part in. 3 OUT OF One negative is that it is 3 VERY slow uploading. Jamie on ‘Ride’… ‘Ride’ is BORING! All you do is go round and round a track. I also don’t 0 OUT OF 5 STARS think the graphics look a bit fake. I would not recommend anyone buy this game.
so you would need to tell the waiter in advance if you don’t want this. Some of the food was a bit expensive for what it was. As you can see there was more good stuff than bad so overall it was good experience and I would go again with friends.
4 OUT OF 5 STARS
4
Robbie (14) and Jamie (11) review 2015 Xbox 360 releases ‘Ride’ and ‘Lego Jurassic World’.
LEGO JURASS IC WORLD
Robbie on ‘Lego Jurassic World’… The game is based on the new Jurassic World movie but also all the other Jurassic movies. It’s like four games in one, which makes it good value. The game follows the storylines of the 4 OUT OF 5 STARS movies but there are also extra twists. 4 By collecting money throughout the game you can buy characters, dinosaurs and cars to control and when you’re not on a mission you can free play, which means you can do whatever you want within the game. I would have given it 5 stars but there were a few technical glitches so I’ll give it 4 stars out of 5. Jamie on ‘Lego Jurassic World’… I like this game a lot. You can be your own character and drive cars or you can be a dinosaur and fight other dinosaurs. Because it covers all the movies it’s like there’s lots of different games to play in one. The graphics are quite good too. 5 OUT OF 5 STARS
5
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ENTERTAINMENT
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
IN IT TO WIN IT… Are you in it to win it? In order to be in with a shot of winning a prize, correctly complete this page, tear it out and either give it to your YPW or send it back to the WC?S National Office. Don’t fancy the competition, you can play the Just for Fun section and then check your answers at the bottom of the page. Good Luck!
A.
Sibling – Younger brother Austin Awards – 7
Grammy awards
2nd album – Fearless
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When I met yo u in the summ er To my heartbea t sound We fell in love As the leaves turned brown
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Which famous brands do these logos belong to?
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YOUR NAME: AGE: ADDRESS:
PHONE: YPW: RETURN YOUR ENTRIES TO: WHO CARES? SCOTLAND, 1st Floor, 5 Oswald Street, Glasgow G1 4QR. 20
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SONG
Born – 13th December 1989, Pennsylvania
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Year – 2000 Character – Maximus rtained?” Quote – “Are you not ente
GUESS THE
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H LAST ISSUES WIN NERS ARE: Name that film – Cu rtis Hutchison, 10 Who am I? – Lisa M ason, 12 Guess the song – Br yan McEahan, 11 Workers face – Chel sea Aboutaj, 17
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ENTERTAINMENT
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
H GAME STATION H GAME STATION H GAME STATION H
JUST FOR FUN… Spot the difference! Can you find the 7 differences?
TASTY!
There was a green house . Inside the gre en house there was a w hite house. Inside the w hite house there was a re d house. Inside the re d house there were lo ts of babies. What is it?
WORD!
y first letter, Take away m und the and I still so away my last same. Take sound the letter, I still y take away m same. Even l il w I , le d mid letter in the e same. I am still sound th word. What a five letter am I?
Match the player answers – A2, B3, C1
3
Spot the difference – 1. ladybird missing spots, 2. fern on the right is missing, 3. fireflies are missing, 4. bottom right goblin is missing, 5. middle goblin facing the other way, 6. clover now has 4 leaves, 7. back left goblin missing teeth.
2
Tasty – watermelon ANSWERS:
1
C
Word – empty
B
A
If you had five mango and two bana nas in one hand and two mango and four bananas in the other hand. What w ould you have?
Fruit – large hands
o t r e y a l p e h t Match ! m a e t l l a b t o o their f
FRUIT!
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SO JUNIOR
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
Chloe This is Toby, my pet hamster. He is 15 weeks old and I got him two weeks ago. His favourite thing to do is push ups on his monkey bars. I have two hamsters now and they are great pets.
By Natasha “I went to LEGOLAND during the summer holidays. I met some Lego people and horses. I really enjoyed it.”
Becky SO - What is your pet? B - I have two rabbits called Milo and CJ, they are both males. SO - How long have you had your pets for? B - I have had them for two months. SO - Are they difficult to look after? B - No they are quite easy. I clean their hutch every two weeks and feed and water them every day. SO - What is the best thing about having a pet? B - I like spending time with them and having something to look after. They have funny characteristics, they are good fun. SO - Would you recommend having a rabbit as a pet? B - Definitely, they are great pets.
At Craig Tara er 3 sisters tell us about their summ rk. holiday to Craig Tara caravan pa
Allisha, 11 s we In the summer holiday in Ayr rk pa an went to a carav had we d an a called Craig Tar nt we We a very nice view. wn the swimming and went do shops the to flumes. We went to the nt we o every day. We als the on d ye play park and pla that ll ba big a slide. I went in . ter goes in the wa
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Emma, 9 Myself and my sisters went on the aqua jest and we went kayaking and I went down flumes on the kayak! In the farm park we got to feed the ponies. Then we went to the shops and bought some hair bands. There is also evening entertainment where people sing and dance and do games. We all got squirted with water, it was a fantastic end to a great day!
Lisa, 12
There is carnival down near the beach. There is also a farm next door where you can see lots of animals and do activities like boat riding and trampolining. The swimming pool has a rapid river and four levels. We went to the evening entertainment – where the grownups will have to dance! I give Craig Tara 10 stars. I would like to stay there again.
SO JUNIOR
Speak Out Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2015
JCO K E ORNER
s d n e i r f r u o y e z a Am ! s t c a f n u f e s e h t w ith Did you know a honeybee ’s top speed is 15 miles per ho ur?
Did you know koala’s sleep for up to 16 hours per day?
How do you make seve n an even number? Take out the ‘s’ !
z zzz
erate to The jellybean was desp wanted go to school because he to be a smartie ! What has 4 legs but cannot walk? A chair! y o b e th s a w Why der? carrying a lad as going Because he w l! to high schoo
Did you know a giraffe ca n clean it’s own ears with it’s to ngue?
Did you know a group of kangaroos is called a mob? Did you know tennis wa s originally played with your bare ha nds?
mels are Did you know ca umps? born without h
Moving on Up Meet Jamie-Leigh (11) from East Ayrshire who has just started senior school. Over a well-deserved McDonalds, Jamie-Leigh tells SpeakOut how she feels about leaving primary school, her top tips for making it in high school and how she nearly set herself on fire in her first week.
SO – How did you feel leaving Primary School? JL – Sad that I’m not going to see certain teachers again. And I’ll miss being with the same class all day, as that’s one of the big changes in Senior School. SO – What did you do to mark the end of Primary School? JL – We had a leaving party at the Bowling Club, no bowling though! We also got limousines to take us to and from the party! SO – How did you prepare for starting High School? JL – We had taster days before we actually started which was really useful. Older pupils who were Prefects helped show us around, until we could find our own way. I’m nearly there, as I’ve only got
lost once. SO - What advice would you give to anyone else about to start High School? JL – It’s not as scary as you think it’s going to be, other young people and teachers are actually really kind. SO – What do you think are the main differences between Primary and Secondary? JL – Classes are smaller which is better as it’s more relaxed. Each class also only lasts 5o minutes whereas in primary school sometimes it would feel like you were doing a subject for a whole day. It’s also nice to be able to eat outside which we couldn’t do in Primary. SO – What are your favourite subjects? JL – Maths, Art and PE, in that order. I have a maths test on Friday to see what set I’ll be put in, I feel fairly confident about it. SO – How are you finding your new subjects? JL – I’m finding Science interesting! I nearly set my tie alight on a Bunsen burner, so now I always remember to tuck it into my skirt! SO – Have you started any new clubs yet JamieLeigh?
JL – No not yet. Rugby was one of the first ones they offered but I didn’t fancy it. I like gymnastics though so we’ll see about that. SO – So now you’re in High School have you had any thoughts about what you might want to do when you’re older? JL – I really like horses and I’m learning to ride at the moment, so maybe I’d like to be in the mounted police unit. But we’ll see that’s quite far away!
Top tip s!
ü No carrying on in the playground like yo u used to. Important to stay cool! ü Pick your statio nery carefully. ü Get yourself a proper calculator . You’ll need it! ü Wear your blaz er with pride. ü Learn to tie yo ur tie properly. M y mum taught me ho w to tie mine.
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