Pupils celebrated their sports coaching, Young Ambassador and Team Inspire achievements at the recent North Ayrshire Active School’s graduation ceremony.
Held on Friday 30 May, the special event at Saltcoats Town Hall recognised the achievements of amazing young leaders from across North Ayrshire.
North Ayrshire Active Schools used the ceremony to recognise the positive impact recruits have made via the power of sports coaching across our six localities. Young people were celebrated for their volunteering contribution to the North Ayrshire Sports Academy (NASA) programme.
NASA is one of several youth leadership programmes run by North Ayrshire Active Schools.
Active Schools are part of the council’s Community Learning and Development team and the dedicated service provides access to lunchtime and after-school sports such as football, badminton, netball and basketball.
Extracurricular sessions simply wouldn’t be possible without the commitment of young people such as the NASA, Young Ambassadors or Team Inspire recruits.
North Ayrshire Active Schools has been working alongside our primary and secondary schools for the past 20 years.
They are a vital partner helping the council to uphold our statutory studies to Get it Right for Every Child. SportScotland also partners with councils to invest in and support the Active Schools Network.
The team are vital advocates and sports and youth work professionals. Not only do they provide opportunities for pupils to get involved in sports locally, they take the time to invest in them as individuals, so that pupils can be involved in sports longer term.
A highlight of the ceremony was the surprise announcements of three stand-out awardees, who between them have dedicated an impressive 233 volunteering hours between them to the NASA Young Ambassadors programme.
- Megan Jack from Kilwinning Academy was the Outstanding Commitment Award winner. Active Schools credited Megan for always being the first to say yes to any sport session in any school. Megan was also the first person to sign up to NASA in the 2024 intake and with excellent time-keeping – never missing a session – she was credited for her 40 hours volunteering and 60 hours coaching delivered over the past year.
- Lucy Turner from Auchenharvie Academy won the Outstanding Volunteer Award. Between 2024-25, Lucy has supported girls football groups and has led on multi-sports clubs in primary schools including a badminton tournament where Glencairn Primary (a school coached by Lucy) were victorious overall. A credit to the Active Schools team, Lucy has dedicated an incredible 103 volunteering hours to schools and the local community overall.
- Aimee Michie from Garnock Community Campus then concluded the spotlight, winning the ‘Above and Beyond’ Award. She was highly praised for always turning up with a smile and enthusiasm and is regarded as a positive role model not only to young people in the sports clubs but also to her fellow coaches. She dedicated an incredible 70 hours to Active Schools volunteering in the last year.
If you want to be part of the action, speak to the Active Schools Coordinator in your school or drop the team a DM on Facebook or via X.
Stand-out Young Ambassadors were recognised at the ceremony for going above and beyond in their duties. These include sports coaching, events management, providing peer support, developing leadership skills, running groups and tournaments and supporting with vital school transitions from primary to secondary.
The ceremony also welcomed previous NASA and Team Inspire members who shared their journeys since graduating and how this type of youth participation via Active Schools has increased their confidence, fitness and commitment to local schools and the wider communities.
Leanne Hillan-Fowler, North Ayrshire Active Schools Manager shared: “Our end of year Active Schools Graduation was all about honouring those who lead not only with skill but with all their heart.
“The young people we are recognising have lifted others up when things were hard, guiding their peers with encouragement rather than ego and have shown up not just for themselves but for all children and young people across North Ayrshire. The Active Schools team look forward to continuing to being part of their sports and leadership journey.”
With 145 Young Ambassadors from across all North Ayrshire 9 secondary schools Arran High came out on top, taking away the Young Ambassadors trophy for stand-out school of the year.
Youth sports coaches from Team Inspire were also applauded for their commitment to nurturing the next generation of NASA recruits, supporting youth participation events and championing the sporting achievements of pupils and peers.
For Team Inspire, Conor Malone and Ben Welsh won the ‘Inspire and Be Inspired’ Award; Jaydn Feeny and Nicole McDonald scooped the ‘Unlocking Potential’ Award; and Kayla Campbell received the ‘Acts of Kindness’ Award.
“The young people we have recognised at this year’s graduation have accumulated an incredible 5,000 hours of sports volunteering across community venues and schools in the last year. Almost 600 young people volunteered via Active Schools and the North Ayrshire Sports Academy. This equates to a social value saved of more than £100,000 being reinvested back into communities. These young people are truly remarkable and have all demonstrated outstanding leadership skills that will continue to support them into positive destinations in the future. Thank you to each and every graduate for giving it their all this academic year.”Angela Morrell, Senior Manager Community Learning and Development
