In the last edition of Staff Talk, we reported that our very own ‘Mountain Man’ youth worker, Ross Muir, part of the Community Learning and Development team, came out on top at this year’s national YouthLink Awards.
Ross, the Council’s Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Co-ordinator, was recognised after we won YouthLink Scotland’s Outdoor Learning and Environment Award.
We catch up with him to learn more about DofE, the benefits and how colleagues can support young people in their award journey…
On the day of the interview, as expected, Ross arrived by bike, helmet-on after cycling from his home turf Ayr, to Cunninghame House. He wasn’t even out of puff in the slightest. Impressive!
Q: Ross, you’re known as a ‘mountain man’, where did your love of the outdoors first come about?
A: Well, as a teen I played for Ayr United and was really gearing up towards becoming a professional football player.
One weekend however changed everything. A few friends of mine asked if I wanted to join them doing mountain biking – they were taking part in a race in the hills around Patna. I said yes and safe to say I was hooked, instantly! I caught the bug, won the race, decided football wasn’t quite as exciting as having mountain top adventures and never really looked back…
Q: What brought you to working in North Ayrshire?
A: Initially, my first outdoors job was as an Outdoors Instructor up in Aviemore, although I am Ayrshire born and bred. Being up North gave me the opportunity to hone a host of outdoor skills like mountain leader, abseiling, canoeing and more. It was actually on a train back down the road from Queen Street that I first heard about the position posted in the Big Issue magazine – something I would never usually buy.
I applied at the time as a DofE youth worker (17 years ago now). Now, in my role as DofE Co-ordinator, I help to lead the Duke of Edinburgh activities and expeditions for young people across our six localities. I love my job and everyone I am lucky enough to work with.
Q: So what exactly is the Duke of Edinburgh Award?
A: Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) can mean many different things to different people. However put simply, it’s a life-changing experience for young people from S3 upwards. It’s a structured youth work programme with three levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold. In these, there’s four achievement themes: Physical, Skills, Volunteering and probably the most well-known (and loved), Expedition.
Q: With each level being a year-long, how do young people stay on track?
A: Good question. Everything that they do around DofE is logged on a mobile app called eDofE. They can submit information and photographs as evidence, then DofE leads in each school or youth setting, can assess the evidence collated and submit it for approval. The idea is that as you work through, you can tally up your progress as you go along…
“One of the main things I love about my role as Duke of Edinburgh Co-Ordinator is that I’ve been able to spend the past 17 years strengthening young people’s connections outdoors and using the power of outdoor learning to help people to unlock their potential and overcome their fears.”Ross Muir, Duke of Edinburgh Co-ordinator
In the last year alone, Ross and his team of DofE volunteers have supported:
- Nine secondary schools and five community groups
- 239 full awards (190 bronze, 45 silver, 4 gold)
- Over 400 young people in delivering over 5,000 voluntary hours locally, including foodbanks, charity shops and ASN sports support
- Generating a social value to the area of over £97k through DofE volunteering.
This year 1,859 young people are currently enrolled…stay tuned to social media for updates on their progress: @DofENAC
Find out about the Duke of Edinburgh programme and other youth work opportunities via the Youth Groups and Organisations Council webpage or visit the Duke of Edinburgh Award website.
Q: Are young people mainly doing DofE with the help of their schools in North Ayrshire?
A: Yes, we have nine secondary schools involved, however there are a number of groups operating in local sports clubs, community venues and youth-settings too.
An example of this would be the one run by my colleague Scott Walley, a youth worker for the Health and Social Care Partnership’s Young People’s Area Support Team (pictured at Eglinton Castle ruin).
He’s been helping to coordinate a Thursday evening team for the last decade and over the past few months, we’ve been enjoying taking a group of young lads mountain biking weekly at Eglinton Park – an activity that will be key in the Physical element of their DofE Bronze progress.
Q: What are the advantages of taking part?
A: Beyond school, DofE is an internationally coveted accolade. Core school subjects and skills like numeracy and literacy provide a solid foundation for young learners, however, adding DofE into the mix too really helps the young people to stand out.
Through the programme, young people have fun, make friends, improve their self-esteem and build confidence along the way. They gain essential skills and attributes for work and life such as resilience, problem-solving, team-working, communication and drive.
The awards are also respected by colleges, universities and employers. Participation in DofE looks brilliant on a CV and offers endless opportunities for those taking part to step out their comfort zones and develop new and exciting skills. That’s why I am so passionate about getting as many young people as possible to go for their DofE in North Ayrshire.
Q: How can colleagues support young people doing their DofE?
A: Although we have our dedicated team of teachers and youth workers supporting DofE on the ground, it would be brilliant for others across the Council to offer words of encouragement throughout the new term and recognise the role they can play too, as we understand it’s a busy and hectic time for pupils and staff alike, especially for those with exams this year.
A lot of what young people are doing in schools and in their own lives already can count towards their DofE progress.
So, to help young people to progress in their DofE achievements and identify areas that they may take for granted as being able to include in their own eDofE updates, I would encourage everyone reading this to please take the time to learn about each of the sections and what they involve: Sections – The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (dofe.org).
Q: Any final thoughts…
A: I would just call-out to any services doing volunteering projects in schools or communities to remind their young people that the hours can count towards DofE.
Let’s work together to continue to champion the successes of our young people!
With expeditions to places like Arran Outdoor Centre or Everton Scout Camp in Inverkip already planned in advance, it’s often the other areas of the award where young people could do with an extra helping hand. So, think about what your team is doing with them and if it could count to one of the key areas…
For example, pupils being tutored by the Music Service can be encouraged to log their achievements in the Skills section and young people engaged with KA Leisure and Active Schools activities will easily by able to log what they are doing from a health and fitness perspective in the Physical section.
If you’re planning something like a litter picking session or nature survey to tackle climate change, this would count for Volunteering.
If you’re a parent or guardian, why not encourage your young person to try a new hobby, or trying something new around the home like learning DIY or simply cooking a meal? Everything counts!
Email me at: rossmuir@north-ayrshire.gov.uk if you want to find out more so that together we can support even more young people to reach their goals for DofE and beyond in the 2024-25 session!