PICTURES: Milestone joy for Calman Trust after it marks 25 years of helping Highland youngsters
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A Highland trust which has worked tirelessly to improve the chances of young people in the region for 25 years has thanked all those who have supported their mission after reaching their silver anniversary.
The Calman Trust is celebrating 25 years since it first came into being. In that time its work to help young people in the Highlands who experience difficulties on the road to young adulthood has seen it assist more than 6000 young people – enabling them to prepare for an independent life, working and joining in their community.
To commemorate this significant milestone, the trust has expressed its gratitude to friends and members of the Highland community who have supported its mission.
On Friday (December 1), Calman held an evening of reflection and thanks, honouring past efforts and achievements, acknowledging the support that has made this possible, and considering the challenges that young people face today in the post-Covid Highlands.
Related: Highland woman of inspiration gives poignant speech when collecting award
Related: New scheme for organisation empowering young people in the Highlands
Held at Calman’s social enterprise Café Artysans, the evening was attended by past and present board members, friends, funders and partners from across the community, plus as many previous staff as the space could hold.
They heard from Linda Stewart, Calman Trust chair of trustees, and CEO Isobel Grigor, who gave a brief Calman history tour and described how the organisation is adapting to the needs of a world where positive and negative effects of technology are seen daily.
"Calman Trust is built on relationships and the commitment shared with all our partners to give the best of chances to our Highland young people," said Isobel Grigor, CEO. "This is a great foundation for finding ways to truly involve and include young people, to address their concerns and ensure that they, too, can have the opportunity of a fulfilling life. We in Calman look forward to playing our part/"
The trust works with young people in the Highlands, aged 15-25, who are at risk of being left behind as a result of their personal challenges, and enables them to become confident and capable young adults, prepared to manage independent living or a job, and to join in the community, their life chances improved. For more details visit www.calman.org.
Café Artysans is part of Calman Trust. By working at Cafe Artysans, young people can learn the skills they need to take the next step into the world of work. The Calman team works alongside them and supports them with their role and any issues that could arise. For details visit www.cafeartysans.org.uk.
