The people making a difference in Moray
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BY his own admission Fraser Cameron wasn't exactly a model student during his school days.
However on the evening this week when a Holyrood minister visited a widely acclaimed Moray charity, the 17-year-old made sure he was there too so he could sing its praises.
Fraser credits the Aberlour Child Care Trust for helping him turn his life around.
And having received so much help himself, he's now committed to helping other young people.
These days the teenager is a regular volunteer at the trust whose Moray office is based in Elgin.
Talking about the young people who he now works with, he said: "I'm proud of all of them and I really want to help them – not so that they turn out like me, but so they can become who they themselves want to be.
"It was rubbish being me when I was younger.
"Now I have people who look up to me – and that's a really great feeling."
Fraser, who lives in Hopeman and works as an apprentice greenkeeper at the local golf club, was among the volunteers who during her visit was introduced to Maree Todd, the Scottish Government's Minister for Children and Young People.
Mrs Todd came along to gain a better understanding of how Aberlour Child Care Trust’s mentoring service is helping to improve the wellbeing of young people across Moray.
The mentoring service matches volunteers with young people who have been identified as needing extra support because they are experiencing a variety of difficulties at home or at school.
Vince Stewart, a motor mechanic from Dyke, has been working full-time for the charity for the past 22 years.
Inside his workshop he busies himself alongside young people fixing up motorbikes, bikes and even boats.
The work is a way of breaking the ice and establishing trust.
Vince said: "You're not sitting across a desk looking at each other, and that means there's usually much less resistance.
"Sometimes the change is immediate. Sometimes it takes a long time. And sometimes there are a few bumps along the way.
"But it's always rewarding to help young people such as Fraser, although you have to remember we don't sort anything – it's the young people who do that themselves.
"And once they finish coming here, it doesn't mean it's the end of the journey – it's just the beginning."
Another to benefit is Zakk Roy.
The 17-year-old from Fochabers has just started his dream job as a motor mechanic with a local firm not far from the charity's base on the Pinewood Industrial Estate.
Meanwhile, Emily McKay, who's also from Fochabers, has come on leaps and bounds since she began coming to the regular music group which the charity runs.
The other week the talented 14-year-old sang in front of 750 people at a scout camp and received a standing ovation.
Mrs Todd said: "Growing up is tough, and often young people just need someone to talk to who isn’t a relative or a friend.
"A consistent and reliable role model, who has only their best interests at heart, can be exactly what a young person needs to succeed.
"I feel incredibly humbled to meet some of Aberlour’s volunteer mentors and the young people whose lives have been touched by them.
"From chatting with everyone involved in the service, it is clear how rewarding and beneficial an experience it is, not only for the young person but for the volunteer mentors as well.
"I’d like to thank all of the volunteers I have met today for giving up their time to make a difference in someone else’s life."
Over the past year, the trust's mentoring service has trained 22 volunteers and worked with 17 young people across Moray between the ages of 12 and 25.
Jennifer Reston, the trust's head of volunteering, said: "As an organisation we strongly believe in the importance of early intervention and the need to support vulnerable young people before they reach crisis point.
"Across Moray we have a lot of young people who could really benefit from volunteer support.
"We are actively recruiting for volunteer mentors, people to help us run group activities and to drive our young people to our groups to help them combat social isolation and improve their wellbeing.
"Our volunteers receive excellent training and ongoing support and all expenses are reimbursed. If you have any time to give, we would love to hear from you.
"It really will make a massive difference."
Application forms are available online. Alternatively, contact 01343 546214.
